Foolish Girl
by DaronwyK
Summary: Hermione comes away from her brush with death after the Department of Mysteries with more than just nightmares. No one seems to notice her struggling except for a certain Potions Master. Can he help her, or will he just end up dragging her into greater danger as Voldemort's power grows?
1. Compulsion

**A/N: Cannon up until the end of OotP with two major deviations. Sirius did NOT die & Lucius Malfoy managed to escape with the Prophecy. This will deal with mature themes & be a very slow burn. While I LOVE Alan Rickman's portrayal of Severus Snape it is important to remember that in Canon he is much young than Rickman, being only in his early thirties at the start of Philosopher's Stone. So try picturing him as a younger man ;-) **

ooOoOoOoOoo

Severus wondered how no one else seemed to notice the slow deterioration of Potter's muggleborn friend. She had come back to school after the disastrous events at the Department of mysteries a changed witch. He supposed that many would merely attribute it to her being nearly a year older than most of her classmates, and assume she was simply coming into her maturity a bit before them. The girl had always been studious after all, but she seemed to be drawing away from her friends and into herself.

She was paler than usual, and to his eyes had lost weight even more so in the last couple of months. There was a faint shadow under her eyes, dark circles poorly disguised with muggle make-up he imagined. He'd attempted to broach the topic with Albus, but the man had merely patted him on the head and suggested that perhaps she was still having bad dreams from her brush with death at the hands of Dolohov. He had admitted that it was a possibility, and had resolved to simply monitor her condition.

Today was the third day since he had seen her consume anything more substantial than a piece of toast and he decided he'd let it play out long enough. His sixth year students had Potions today, and he'd been forced to allow Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley to continue, against his very vocal protests. He set the day's potion on the board and settled back to observe. Normally his Newt classes were an excellent opportunity to get caught up on marking, but today he needed to try and parse out what exactly was eating Miss Granger. He watched her pull out her quill and amend her text with the day's alteration. She was one of the few students that had ever noticed that his written instructions varied from the text. He saw the slightest tremor of her hand and he narrowed his eyes. All the pieces came together into an all too neat, but disturbing picture. A quick look at her nail beds confirmed it. There was a slight bluish cast to them, and he was quite sure if he pulled down her eyelids he'd see a similar pigment there. Foolish, foolish girl.

As class came to a close and everyone came up to turn in their efforts, he looked up. "Miss Granger, come to my office this evening at 7 o'clock. There is something I need to discuss with you." He said.

Hermione blinked. "Of course Professor." She looked confused as to what she'd done but left with her two friends. He plucked her vial out of the basket and sighed. It was not her usual standard of work, and he wondered how badly she was slipping in her other classes. He resolved to speak to some of her Professors discreetly to try and ascertain how she was truly managing.

ooOoOoOoOoo

Severus was back at his desk when he heard the tentative knock at his door. "Come in." He said and the door opened to reveal his current conundrum. "Please take a seat Miss Granger."

The girl crossed the room and sat down in the chair across from his desk, her body language screaming discomfort. "Was there something wrong with my potion Professor?"

"Yes, though that is not the reason for this meeting, merely a symptom of it." He sighed. "I've spoken with several of your other instructors and we've noticed a disturbing pattern over the last several months. Your grades are slipping, and from my own observations I have my suspicions why. This would normally be a matter for your Head of House, but Minerva seems largely ignorant." He rubbed his temple. "I simply do not understand how someone as intelligent as you could do something so dreadfully stupid. Dreamless Sleep is highly addictive, even a second year student knows that."

Hermione's eyes fell to the ground. "It was the only thing that would stop the nightmares…" She whispered. "And now it doesn't even do that." She closed her eyes, feeling tears stinging them.

Severus stood and went around his desk. He pulled a chair over and sat in front of her. "The more you rely on it, the less effective it becomes over time to the point where the amount you need to consume in order to get any sleep starts to poison your system. That is why your hands are shaking, and why I noticed the discolouration in your nail beds." He had struggled with this addiction himself for years after Lily's death, so he was intimately aware of what this girl was going through.

"I can't even eat without feeling sick." She whispered.

"I can help you Miss Granger, but you will need to remain here over the Christmas break and you cannot tell anyone that you have remained behind. You will take the train to King's Cross with everyone else, and I will give you a portkey that will take you back to Hogsmeade. I will meet you there and sneak you back into the castle. You cannot be seen. Withdrawal is not a pretty process, and at the end of it…you will owe me a favour Miss Granger. Your only other alternative is to admit yourself voluntarily to St. Mungos and that will be reflected in your permanent record and might even forfeit your prefect's status." Severus laid it out to her in black and white.

Hermione lifted her head and looked at him. "Why do you even care?"

"Because without your assistance I highly doubt Potter will survive what is to come, and because I hate to see a talented mind brought low by addiction." He said softly. "What is your decision Miss Granger?"

"I'll accept your help, in return for a later favour." She said quietly. "No one else can know." She hated that it sounded like she was begging, but she was.

"You have my word." He stood and went to his cabinet and pulled out two bottles. "You will need to continue to take Dreamless sleep until next Friday when the train leaves, but take a sip of the pink liquid before meals, and a sip of the blue afterwards. It will allow you to eat without feeling ill, and settle the tremors."

Hermione took them and put them in her book bag.

"Now if you start vomiting blood you will come here immediately. If I am not in this office tap that statue with your wand and I will come." He pointed to a beautiful raven carved from Onyx. It was a secret only his more troubled Snakes knew, but in such a situation the girl's life would be in danger. "Now, you'd best return to your dormitory and try to get some rest. I'll slip you the portkey and instructions before you leave."

Hermione nodded, utterly ashamed by how far she'd let things go. She headed back up to the common room. She saw Ron sitting with Lavender Brown and she felt ill in a way that nothing to do with food. She just walked right by them and went up to her room, laying back on the bed. She was so tired, even getting undressed felt like too much work. She couldn't close her eyes without seeing his face, and she hadn't told anyone about the letters. She'd started receiving them the first week back. She'd burned them at first, but then for some reason she kept saving them. They were disgusting, filthy, and scared her, but she didn't feel like she could tell anyone. They were just letters and Dolohov was in Azkaban. He couldn't hurt her. She said that to herself every night, hoping that one day she'd believe it.

"Hermione?" Parvati said as she came in. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, just not sleeping very well." Hermione made herself sit up and give the other girl a smile. "Snape hauled me into his office to warn me that my work was slipping." She sighed.

"At least you'll get to go home for a couple of weeks, that should help." The other girl said.

"Yeah, it'll be nice." She said. "I should grab a shower and then I think I'm going to call it an early night."

"Yeah, you look really tired. If you need anything, you know you just need to ask right?" Parvati said.

Hermione nodded. She and the other Gryffindor girls had never been particularly close, and that she was looking rough enough that Parvati was reaching out meant it had to be bad. "Thanks Parvati, I really appreciate it."

"Ok, I'll let you get some rest." She stood and slipped out of the room.

Hermione went to the bathroom and had a quick shower before going and opening her trunk, slipping a vial out of a warded section and taking a long swallow. It burned against her stomach but she felt the drowsiness settle over her. She crawled into bed and set a basic silencing spell before falling back against the pillows, hoping that at least tonight to get a few hours of sleep before the nightmares started.

ooOoOoOoOoo

"You're sure you don't want to join us at Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked as they all piled into the carriages to take them down to the train. "I'm sure your parents would understand."

"I'm sure they would, but I miss them Harry." She said gently. "I know how little time you get with Sirius on your own too, this should be your time." She reached over and squeezed his hand. "How's he been recovering from the battle?"

"Good as new he claims, the hearing to clear his name is going to be in January. He's pretty nervous about it, but that man Scrimagour seems fair. He was good enough to lend Dumbledore those three Aurors for the DADA class. It's been the most consistent year we've had if I'm honest." Harry said, glad to actually be learning things in class rather than just trying to figure it out on his own.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, though I still think we should resume the DA in the new year, just for practice." She brought it up again.

"I'll think about it." Harry said quietly.

Hermione nodded and soon they were arriving at Hogsmeade station. They found a compartment with Neville and Luna, and Hermione excused herself to make a quick trip up to the Prefect's compartment. She entered and nodded to Draco, the only other Prefect in the compartment so far. "Malfoy." She said and sat down.

"Granger." He said simply, and he seemed to hesitate over something. "You should get your parents out of the country before the summer." He said quietly.

Hermione raised her eyebrow. "What do you know?"

"I overheard something…they're targets. The Dark Lord is hoping to take you along with them this summer." He looked almost ill. "After what I heard, you don't want that to happen Granger. You should talk to Professor Snape when you get back after Christmas, see what can be done."

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"Don't worry about me Granger, we have a plan in place." Draco said. His mother was just waiting for the Dark Lord to leave the Manor, and then they would be gone. She hadn't told him everything, but he knew when it happened they'd need to move quickly.

She nodded. "Thank you Draco." She said quietly.

He nodded. "We may not be friends, but you at least deserve a warning." He met her eyes for a long moment.

She was saved from responding as the Ravenclaw prefects arrived and they all agreed to do a couple patrols up and down the train. As they pulled into King's Cross, Hermione found an empty compartment and pulled out the little chess piece that the Professor had given her. She gripped it tightly and whispered 'Portus'. She felt the sharp hook behind her navel and the sickening tugging sensation as she was dragged through space and deposited into a secluded spot behind the Hog's Head. She managed to land on her feet, but she very nearly lost her lunch. Gaining her composure she straightened and turned, feeling eyes on her. She nodded to the Professor, standing quietly against the building.

"Professor." She said respectfully.

"Hold still." He said and applied a powerful disillusionment charm on her. He watched as she shimmered out of view. "Stay close and do keep up Miss Granger." He said and turned on his heel heading back towards the castle.

Hermione had to almost jog to keep pace with the potion master's long stride, but she managed it. It was eerily quiet on the trip back, and she pulled her cloak tighter around herself against the chilly December air. They entered the school and she followed him down into the dungeons. There were many twists and turns and finally they came to a dead end. There was nothing to distinguish it from any other hallway. She watched as he pulled out his wand and tapped a specific stone and whispered something. A beautifully carved wooden door appeared and he opened it, gesturing to her to enter.

She walked in and felt a shiver as Professor Snape removed the disillusionment charm. His sitting room was nothing like she'd expected. The walls were lined with bookshelves and filled with old and obviously well perused texts. There was a fire going in the grate and a couple of comfortable arm chairs in front of it. There was a game table between them and a game of wizard's chess in progress on the board. She turned to face the Professor.

"Follow me Miss Granger." He said and led her through a door to the left. It lead to a narrow hallway with three doors off of it. He opened the first one. "This will be your room for the next two weeks." It was a decent sized bedroom with a four poster bed, hung in Slytherin colours. There was a desk to the side and a comfortable chair at it. There were a couple of book shelves and a side table. She took her shrunken chest out of her pocket and resized it.

"I suggest you get changed into something comfortable. I'll return with the first potion. We only have two weeks so I'll need to accelerate the process." Severus said. "The bathroom is the next door down the hall." He left her to get settled and went back out to the living room. The normal process for detoxing off Dreamless Sleep could take weeks, and upwards of two months. Slowly lowering the dose and letting the body adjust to having it out of the system. It was usually paired with therapy to address the reasons for taking the potion in the first place. This method was not recommended. He'd give her a series of potions to purge the toxins from her system and then help her ride out the side effects. It would be messy, but it would break the addiction cycle.

He opened the box and removed the vial filled with amber liquid. It brought back unpleasant memories of his own. Three long years, knowing what it was doing to him and not caring, almost hoping that the next dose would finally kill him, end his pain. It hadn't been Albus that had pulled him out of that deadly downwards spiral. No. It had been Lucius who had all but kidnapped him at the end of term and locked him in a room for weeks, no wand and no way out. He'd nearly killed his friend at one point when the cravings had been at their worst. Lucius hadn't left him, even at his lowest. He owed him a debt he could never fully repay. He sighed and sat down, waiting for her to come out.

Hermione came out, having changed into a pair of pajama pants and a long sleeved flannel shirt. She saw the Professor sitting by the fire and went over to join him.

"Please sit." He said and then handed her the vial. "I will be needing your wand Miss Granger." He said, pleased when she handed it over. "Now, I will be setting wards to keep you inside these rooms. This potion will accelerate your recovery, but it will also intensify any of the withdrawal symptoms. I will not hold anything you say, or do against you during this process. Now do you have any questions?" He asked her.

Hermione looked at the vial in her hands for a long moment. "How bad is it going to be?" She asked softly.

"There's no way to know for certain. It's a very individual thing. The only thing in your favour is that you've only been abusing for months, as opposed to years. It could be a mild as severe nausea, fever, and moderate hallucinations for a few days…or it could be much worse. Regardless I will be here to help you through it." Severus leaned forward in his chair.

Hermione nodded and unstoppered the vial and drank it down. It was cloyingly sweet and sat funny in her stomach. She pressed the back of her hand to her lips and just tried to keep it down.

Severus called for some mint tea for her, and added a touch of honey to it. "Drink this, it will help with the nausea." He pressed the cup into her hand.

Hermione accepted the cup and sipped it, feeling the mint do its job and coax the urge to be ill back. "Thank you Professor." She said and opened her eyes, surprised to see that actual concern in his.

"Now can you tell me about these nightmares?" He asked.

She bit her bottom lip and looked down into the pale liquid in her tea cup. "They're always about him…Dolohov." She said quietly. "They weren't that bad at first, but when I got back to school I started getting these letters. They're never signed but I know they're from him. Somehow he's getting them to me. The things in them, what he writes about," she shuddered and shook her head. "I tried burning them without reading them and they'd just reappear on my pillow. I know he's in Azkaban. I KNOW he can't hurt me, but every night in my dreams he's there and he does." She couldn't look up and see the judgement there, the scorn. She nearly jumped through her skin as she felt his hand come to rest on her knee.

"Did you keep the letters?" He asked quietly.

She nodded. "They're in my trunk." She whispered.

"May I examine them?" He asked her.

She just nodded. "I can go get them."

"No, I'll retrieve them. Just drink your tea Miss Granger. There are some ginger biscuits there as well if you feel up to them." He stood and headed back to her bedroom, opening her trunk and casting a quick diagnostics spell, seeing a pulsing red light where the letters were tucked away. He levitated them out and in short order identified the curse on the letters. He dismantled the curse and then pocketed the letters. He would read them later. It was a compulsion curse, the longer the item was in the victim's possession the more it would occupy their mind. It was an insidious piece of magic, elegant and cruel. Left alone it would have slowly driven her insane, rendering her useless to Potter, trapped in her own nightmares.

He went back out to the living room and saw that she was nibbling at a biscuit. He came and sat down. "There was a curse on the letters Miss Granger. What's been happening to you was not of your mind's making." He poured himself a cup as well. "The more letters you received, and the longer you kept them in your possession the greater the effect on you."

She lifted her eyes then and met his. "Thank you. I think I'll be saying that a lot."

"I prefer it to the swearing I know will come later." He smirked a bit, grateful for a moment of levity before things really got started.

~TBC~


	2. Digging Deep

**A/N: Things are progressing and it will get darker before the end. As always, this is not my universe…I'm just playing with it for the moment.**

ooOoo

Hermione turned on the cold water tap and splashed it over her face, rinsing out her mouth. She'd been vomiting for what felt like hours. Her throat burned and her sides ached. She rested her forehead against the cool glass of the mirror. She heard the bathroom door open and gentle hands guided her to sit down on the closed toilet seat. She felt a cool cloth be placed on the back of her neck and a glass vial was placed in her hand. She opened her eyes and saw it was the same amber coloured potion as before. "More?"

"We must purge the toxins Miss Granger, drink." Severus said firmly.

She drank it down, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as her stomach roiled in protest. She jumped a bit as the Professor took her hand and pressed hard on a spot between her thumb and forefinger. "What…." She trailed off as the wave of nausea cleared.

"It is a pressure point, it will help you to keep the potion down long enough for it to absorb into your bloodstream." He explained and kept a firm grip until he was satisfied she wouldn't vomit the potion all over him and the floor.

She rubbed her hand a bit once he released it. "It hurts everywhere."

"It's just the beginning Miss Granger, I'm afraid." He said and helped her stand, guiding her back to the guest bedroom. Her initial reaction to the purging potion was telling. She might have only been self-medicating for a few months, but the level of toxins was high. This was going to be rough. He could feel the heat starting to pour off her skin and knew she'd be in the grip of fevered dreams soon. "Just remember that it will end…eventually." He said and pulled the blankets back and helped her under them. "Rest while you can."

She nodded and laid back on the crisp, cool sheets. Her eyes were closed, but her hand was curled into a fist.

Severus pulled the chair from her desk over to her bedside and went to grab a book. Professor Sinestra had been kind enough to cover his duties over the holidays so that he could tend to her. Aurora hadn't asked why he needed to be free from his Head of House duties this Christmas, knowing better. It would not be the first time he'd asked his fellow Slytherin instructor to take over for him when a student was in need of his complete attention. He settled down with a new potion's text he was considering using for his first years, and kept watch over the young woman.

Sweat began to bead on her skin, and she shifted restlessly on the bed. Severus left his chair and wrung out a facecloth and wiped her forehead and down her throat. She was whimpering and he hardened his heart, knowing that this was just something she had to go through. He cursed Dolohov and the other Death Eaters for going after the girl in the first place, driving her to this. She might well be of age, but she was still just a child…too young for all of this. A little voice in the back of his mind whispered that she was no younger than he had been when he'd stupidly pledged his life and service to the Dark Lord. It was hard to remember that he'd ever been this young. The first war had forced him, all of them really, to grow up before their time. It seemed that this girl and her friends were fated for a similar future.

He stayed at her bedside throughout the night. He would place cool cloths on her forehead to ease the fever, make sure she didn't aspirate when the rounds of nausea hit her, and soothed her through the nightmares that wracked her mind. He dozed while she had brief periods of calm, settling in for what was bound to be a long process.

It was nearly two days later when she opened her eyes, and reached a hand over to touch his. "Professor?" She whispered, her voice barely audible.

Severus opened his eyes, roused from his light sleep. "Welcome back Miss Granger." He patted her hand and stood, pouring her a glass of water. He helped her sit up, knowing that she'd be feeling very weak. "Small sips now." He said, only releasing the glass when he could see she had a good grip on it. Her hand shook a little but she managed to drink a bit without spilling it all over herself. He took it back once she was finished.

"How long was I…" She trailed off, not even certain how to describe the haze she'd been in.

"It's been two days." Severus said. "I'll have the House Elves send down some broth. We need to get something in your system while we can." He stood.

"What do you mean…isn't the worst over?" Hermione asked.

"I wish that it were. We've purged the toxins from your system…but you'll start feeling the cravings soon." Severus paused in the door, meeting her eyes. "It's always worse." He watched the understanding fill her eyes and felt a great deal of pity for the girl. He knew there was nothing worse for someone like them than to lose control of their thoughts and actions. She was at the mercy of her addiction, and she would say and do anything to get another fix. He judged they maybe had twelve hours before it started. It was enough time to get some food into her, let her clean herself up and rest a little. Those impossibly large brown eyes looked away then and he left her alone with her thoughts.

He got the elves to send down some chicken broth and buttered bread for her, and soup and sandwiches for himself. He carried the tray into her bedroom and sat down, conjuring a little table to sit across her lap. She was quiet as she ate her meal, and he didn't press her for conversation. He'd read the letters she'd received and he could hardly blame the girl for turning to potions to try and hide from the nightmares they'd doubtlessly conjured. The general theme was the same, they meant to take her to one of the Dark Lord's revels, and it detailed the horrific acts they intended to perpetrate on her before finally killing her. Even after attending some of those 'events', the lurid descriptions had turned his stomach. More disturbing to him was that it was in Antonin's handwriting. Somehow they were getting the letters out of Azkaban, which suggested they had control of it, and if that were true a breakout would not be far off.

"You're frowning…what were you thinking about?" She asked quietly.

"Just about the origin of your letters, and the implications." He didn't lie to her.

"On the train, Draco warned me that I should get my family into hiding. He said he overheard something being planned for this summer." She said quietly.

Severus' eyes narrowed. "You should have told me immediately Miss Granger." He said and stood, pacing for a moment. "We'll find a way to move them to safety." He promised her. "If you are truly a target, things may get quite unpleasant for you."

"More unpleasant than this?" She asked with a half-smile.

"This is merely a prelude Miss Granger." Severus said. "A simple compulsion curse on some letters is nothing. Out in the world, should they desire to get a hold of you, there is little you would be able to do to stop them. You need to decide how involved with this war you truly wish to be. I know you feel a duty to your friends, but the consequences you face if captured are degrees more severe than if Mr. Weasley were taken."

Hermione nodded and picked up the cup of mint tea. "I can't turn my back on my friends, but that's not the reason I want to fight." She met his eyes. "He wants to kill people like me. He tells his followers that I'm not worthy to be alive, much less be a witch. I can't run from that."

Severus nodded. "Once you are more recovered, I will suggest to the Headmaster to include you in the Order. You're of age, and capable of minding your tongue around those that are not yet ready to know everything." He decided.

She nodded. "Thank you Professor Snape."

He nodded. "Do not thank me, Miss Granger. You'd be far better off going into hiding." He said sadly.

ooOoo

Severus pinned the trashing witch to the floor of the hallway. His face throbbed, and he was fairly certain she'd broken his nose. She kneed him in the side and he snarled, slamming her wrists into the stone of the floor. "ENOUGH!"

She stilled under him, and started crying. "Please…I just need a little…please…" She begged through the tears. "I know you have it here, please just a little bit. Just a drop."

"You will not find it in these rooms Miss Granger." Severus said, gently releasing her wrists and moving back to sit against the wall. This fit of rage had only lasted a half hour, the previous ones had gone for several. "I cannot touch the stuff anymore." He admitted, gingerly touching his nose. He watching impassively as she turned on her side and sobbed, curled into the fetal position.

"Please, I need it…make it go away." She sobbed.

"You do not need it. You're stronger than that." He got up and gently helped her up, not pleased that they were in the tearful, begging stage. It was the hardest on one's dignity, simply because it did not also come with an accompany phase of amnesia. He did pray extremely hard that she did not sink to the depths he had. It had taken him years to look Lucius in the eye after that summer.

"I'm not…please, I can't do this. It hurts." She turned and grabbed at the front of his robes. "Please Professor."

He roughly turned her back around and escorted her into her room. "Into bed Miss Granger…I'll get you a cup of tea."

"I don't want TEA…I need my potion." She tried to squirm out of his grip but he was holding on tight. "Let me GO!"

"NO. And you will stop this incessant whining. You're a witch by Merlin, start acting like one." He shouted and tossed her towards the bed. "Summon up a little of that famed Gryffindor courage and stop snivelling like some pathetic muggle addict!" He turned on his heel and left the room.

Hermione collapsed on the bed and wrapped her arms around her middle, trying not to dissolve into tears. She *was* stronger than this. She had to be. She crawled up the bed and curled up against the headboard and rested her head on her knees. Her insides were aching, roiling, and there was this unrelenting need. She wanted to crawl after him, offer him anything for just a taste. It was humiliating, but she'd do it if she thought for even a second he'd relent she would. She dug her nails into her forearm, trying to break through this haze. The pain helped so she bore down harder, the sharper edge of pain letting her get over the wave. She opened her eyes as she felt a hand cover hers and gently pry her hand off her arm.

"You'll damage yourself Miss Granger." He said and laid her hands on the blanket. "Breathe deeply and it will pass." He told her.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "How do you know?" She asked him.

"Because I was once where you are." He said and pulled a bottle out of his robes, pouring it over the half-moon shaped wounds on her forearm. "I know exactly what you're going through Miss Granger, and I know you will come through the other side."

She hissed as the potion stung the cuts, closing them. "Who helped you?"

"A friend." He said. "As I told you before, I will hold none of this against you. Though I may not be so eager to place my nose in the same vicinity as your head." He said drily.

"I'm sorry." She made a face.

"You are not yourself." He excused it easily. "I did far worse to my friend. Try drinking this." He handed her the mug of tea. "You have to dig deep Miss Granger, and fight your way through the cravings. You will get through it." He left her alone to clean himself up.

Hermione gripped the warm mug and sipped it, trying to find the courage that the Sorting Hat seemed to think she had. She hadn't been able to keep anything solid down for days, so the Professor had been giving her nutrition potions. The potions however weren't meant to be used long term and she felt weak and shaky. The thought of food just made her want to vomit, and so she was sticking to liquids for now. She didn't even know what day it was to be honest. Everything was running together. She finished the tea and set the mug on the bedside table and laid down, pulling the blankets up around her. She just wanted this to be over.

Severus came back to check on her and just doused the lamps, tucking her in a little more securely. He left the room and closed the door softly behind him. He went to his living room and poured himself a tumbler of fire whiskey. She was moving through her withdrawal well, there had been none of the hallucinations he'd been fearing and hopefully in a few more days she'd get over the worst of the cravings. Then she could focus on simply recovering from the ordeal before classes resumed in the New Year.

He'd been thinking about what to do for her parents, and decided that moving quietly on the matter was the best course. He was backing Albus, but he would be a fool to actually trust the Headmaster. He knew all too well that all of them were disposable in his pursuit of the 'greater good'. He'd go and visit the Grangers and make arrangements for them to disappear. His Grandmother had left him a cottage in France, with fake papers and proper wards they would be hidden well from anyone looking. Miss Granger would be the one in the most danger. Albus would simply throw the girl in, head first. She'd need to learn more to be prepared.

He sat down and sank into the comfortable arm chair. He couldn't work with Potter, the disaster of their Occulmency lessons last year was evidence of that, but perhaps he could work with the Granger girl. If he didn't kill her before the start of next term. He smirked a little thinking about the abject fit Minerva would be having if she had any inkling where her prized pupil was at the moment. It was fun to needle the woman. She was so damned prim and proper about everything. Severus could play the cultured aristocrat but he'd grown up on the wrong side of the tracks and had more…flexible standards. It was part of what made him a good spy, the ability to adapt to his surroundings. He was just as comfortable in the slums of London as the Malfoy drawing room.

He frowned as his fireplace flared green and Albus' face appeared. "Severus, can you come through?" He called.

"Of course." He sat his drink down and without a thought went through to the Headmaster's office. The girl would sleep for some time.

"Ah, good…I was wondering if all was well. Professor Sinestra mentioned that you needed a reprieve from your duties this holiday and I as worried." Albus said. "Tea?"

"No thank you Albus." Severus sat down. "I merely have a situation with one of my students that requires a bit of dedicated attention."

"Ah, nothing too serious I hope?" He asked.

"Just some emotional difficulties in need of guidance. The work of a Head of House is never done." He smiled wryly.

"Yes, of course. I won't pry then, but you will reach out if the situation requires any additional help?" He said, blue eyes trying to read something in his Professor's gaze.

"I believe we are past the worst of it, but I will ask for assistance should I require it." Severus said, refusing to hint as to the identity of his student. He'd given her his word. He and Albus had fought over this in the past, but he remained steadfast. By the school bylaws unless a student was endangering the life of others or engaged in illegal activities a Head of House had the authority to keep their confidences, from the Headmaster, from parents, and even Aurors. There needed to be a feeling of trust there.

"Very well. Have you heard anything about the Dark Lord's activites?" He asked.

"Nothing as of yet. I did speak to Miss Granger before the break and…she relayed some disturbing things. We may wish to adjust the wards on student mail." He said quietly. "She's been receiving letters from Dolohov, with a nasty curse attached to them. A compulsion curse Albus." He said.

Albus frowned. "That's very dark magic Severus."

"Indeed. It is certainly in his hand, and confirms our fears that they control the prison. We need to start preparing for them to stage a breakout, and for them to make a run on the Ministry." Severus said.

"I'll inform the rest of the Order." Albus said.

"After the students return to classes, I think you should speak to Miss Granger about joining the Order. We spoke a little about the coming war, and while I advised her that it would likely be safer for her to go into hiding she expressed her desire to aide our efforts however she could. She also expressed that it was not merely her friendship with Mr. Potter that made her feel that way, she wants to fight for her place in the magical world. I feel she would be an asset to the Order." He said, aware it was a reversal of his earlier position to exclude all three of them.

Albus raised his eyebrows. "From you Severus, that is practically a glowing recommendation." He said. "Very well, when she returns from visiting her family we will have a little chat and see if she is willing to abide by the rules of the Order."

Severus stood. "Good. I should return to my quarters."

"I won't keep you, and Severus…Happy Christmas." He said.

"And you." Severus said and used the floo to return to his rooms.


	3. Progressions

**A/N: This is a slightly longer chapter, just a lot to get through in this section. Enjoy! Thanks to everyone who's reading/reviewing. Love you guys!**

ooOoo

Hermione was curled up in Professor Snape's sitting room, reading a book. It was New Year's Eve and she was finally feeling more like herself. The Professor had been comfortable leaving her alone while he resumed his patrol duties. She'd actually been able to eat a full dinner tonight, and it felt like quite the accomplishment. She still looked like she'd been through hell…but the Professor had reassured her that he would teach her a basic glamour that would hide her condition until she was fully recovered.

"Still up I see." Severus said as he entered his quarters.

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd read a little and see if that made me drowsy." She said and sat the book aside.

"Well, given the night perhaps you would join me for a drink then?" He offered, remembering that she was of age and so it wasn't completely out of line to offer her one.

"Sure." Hermione smiled and accepted the crystal tumbler from her Potions Master. "I've never had anything stronger than champagne at my cousin's wedding." She looked at the amber liquid with a little apprehension.

"Small sips Miss Granger." He said and sat down. "Other than the insomnia how are you feeling?" He asked her.

"Much better, I'm starting to get some more energy back and the tremors have finally stopped." She said, very grateful for that. "I just wanted to say thank you, for all of this. You were the only one who noticed what was going on with me, and cared enough to find out why." She said sincerely, meeting his eyes.

"You are most welcome, Miss Granger." He lifted his glass and gave her a small salute. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, Professor." She raised her glass and tried a little sip, blinking a bit at the strength of it. She coughed a bit and blushed as her Professor chuckled at her expense.

"Careful, fire whiskey tends to bite back a bit." Severus smirked and stood. "I'll be right back." He headed out of the room and went down the hall. He returned with a package. It was wrapped in plain brown paper, and was vaguely rectangular in shape. "I do not normally give gifts to my students, but I hope that this will be of use to you as you continue to recover." He handed it to her and sat down.

Hermione sat her drink down and carefully unwrapped the present. There were two books inside. One was a brown leather bound journal, and the other was a text on Occulmency. She looked at him quizzically.

"The first five chapters focus on meditation and the development of a state of calm, it will help with your insomnia. The journal is charmed to be unreadable to anyone but the person who writes in it. You may find it useful to write about your nightmares. It's a way to purge them from your mind." Severus explained. "I will make myself available to you during term should you have questions, or simply need to talk. The first few months will be the hardest as you adjust to a regular sleep cycle without the assistance of the potion." He said.

She stroked her hand along the leather of the journal and nodded. "I'll come see you if I need help. What should I do about receiving those letters?"

"Keep a pair of dragon hide gloves in your book bag. Do not touch them with your bare skin. Bring them to me when you can, I will disable the curse and dispose of the letter." Severus said. "Do not mention Draco's warning to anyone else, not your friends or the Headmaster. I am setting things in place for them but it's best if absolutely no one else is aware. Their lives may well depend upon our discretion." He didn't mince words. He'd be returning her to her home tomorrow, so that they could drop her off at King's Cross to catch the train home with everyone else. He'd speak to her parents about his arrangements for them then.

"Why not the Headmaster?" She asked, frowning a little.

"Do you trust him?" Severus asked her in turn. "And be brutally honest. There is a difference in having the same beliefs as someone and trusting them with the lives of the people you love."

Hermione frowned and wanted to say that of course she trusted Dumbledore but after last year, did she really? He'd made her and Ron break contact with Harry, something had had driven a wedge between the three friends. It was slowly getting better but, she knew that was still a very raw wound. He'd pushed Harry away, not telling him something that had resulted in Sirius nearly dying in front of Harry's eyes. She and the rest of the DA had nearly been killed as well. He'd expressed his sympathies for her injuries and whatever part his actions may have played in them, but she knew that was not an admission of wrong doing or guilt. She found herself shaking her head. "No. I don't think I do." She whispered.

"Then you're smarter than the bulk of the Order." He said. "Never forget that ultimately all of us are disposable in his pursuit of the greater good. If you are going to involve yourself in this seriously, then you need to make sure you plan for your own safety. Have an escape plan, a way out in the worst situations." His black eyes bored into hers. "Never depend on anyone else to watch your back."

Hermione shivered a little. "Harry still trusts him, even after all of what's happened." She whispered.

"There is nothing you can do about the blind faith of others. Keep your own counsel on this, or at least voice it only with me." Severus warned her. "Being an outcast amongst the Order is not a path I recommend. It's lonely, and dangerous."

"I'll be careful." She promised and had a bit more of her drink. She felt something shifting between them. They were no longer teacher and student, or at least not at the moment. She could see the weight of what he had to do sitting on his shoulders, crushing him slowly. Tonight he was just a wizard, warning her about the dangers of what was to come.

"See that you do." He said.

Hermione finished her drink and sat in silence with her Professor, the two of them not feeling the need to fill the silence.

ooOoo

Hermione walked up to her front door of her home, letting herself in and giving enough time for her disillusioned Professor to follow her inside before shutting the door. "Mum, Dad…I'm home!" She called as Professor Snape appeared beside her.

"Hermione!" He mum came out of the kitchen and looked at the man standing beside her daughter with some surprise and trepidation. The man looked positively intimidating. "Who is this darling?"

"Mum, this is Professor Snape. Professor, this is my mum, Jean Granger." Hermione said and took off her coat, hanging it up. She took the Professor's outer robe.

"It's a pleasure to meet one of Hermione's teachers. Would you like some tea? Hermione dear, why don't you go and grab your father. He's just in the garage working on one of those engines he's been tinkering with." She said and showed the dark haired Professor into her living room.

"Tea would be nice, Mrs. Granger." He said and sat down while she went to start the kettle. The house was very nice, clearly an upper middleclass residence. He let his eyes wander over the many photographs of the Granger family and could see that they loved their daughter. He stood as a man entered the room, taking the offered hand and shaking it firmly.

"Nice to meet one of Hermione's Professors. Thank you for bringing her home, even if it's just for a few days. She had said in her letter that she'd been needed for a special project at the school. Oh sorry, where are my manners, I'm Thomas Granger." He said.

"Professor Severus Snape." He replied. "Yes I'm afraid that there was something that she needed to work on through the holiday, I do apologize that it cut into her time with her family." Severus said. "She is a remarkably talented young woman, you and your wife should be very proud."

"We are." Thomas said as his wife and daughter came in with a tea tray and some little cakes.

"Thank you Mrs. Granger." Severus said and sat up. Once everyone had their tea and had settled down he decided to broach the subject. "Now, the reason I am here is somewhat more serious than discussing your daughter's grades or school performance. Has Hermione told you about some of the trouble we've been having in our world?" He asked.

"Yes, she mentioned there's a faction of people banding together and causing trouble for the government, and witches and wizards like her." Thomas said.

"I'm afraid it's a bit more serious than that." Severus said. "The truth is that we are on the brink of a civil war. People are choosing sides, and your daughter's best friend Harry Potter is integral to our side of the conflict. As such she has come under some fairly direct threats, as have you both." Severus said quietly.

"What kind of threats?" Thomas said, face darkening.

"Threats of death and worse." He did not mince words. "I have advised Miss Granger that it would be safer for her to go into hiding with you until the war is over, she has refused to do so. Because she is of age in our world I can do no more than that, but I am willing to offer you both somewhere safe to ride it out. I am sure that your daughter would be more able to focus on keeping herself safe if she was certain you were protected." Severus said and looked at Jean and Thomas, seeing the fear and worry in their eyes.

"But we have a life here, our practice…" Jean said and was cut off by her husband reaching over to squeeze her hand.

"You're certain these threats are credible?" Thomas could see the grim set to this man's face.

"I would not be here if I wasn't sure." Severus said. "I can put you somewhere where the Death Eaters cannot find you, and allow you to correspond with your daughter. But we would need to move you just before Easter and you could not tell anyone that you were preparing to go. You'd simply need to close up shop one day and not return until this is over." He was very serious. "More lives than just your own would be at stake if you should tip anyone off."

Jean and Thomas shared a long look before either one spoke again. Thomas turned to look at his daughter and took her hand. "I don't like that you're putting yourself in danger, but I understand you feel you need to do what's right." He said quietly. "Will you try and keep her out of the worst of it?" He looked at the man sitting across from him.

"I will endeavor to do what I can to keep Miss Granger out of the worst of the fighting. She is after all, still a student." He promised quietly, vowing to try and do just that.

"Then we accept your help Professor Snape. We'll make our preparations quietly and be ready to go when you send word." Thomas Granger said. "Can we convince you to stay for dinner?" He asked the Professor.

"I regret that I cannot stay, I have duties to attend to back at the school." He finished his tea. "Thank you for the tea Mrs. Granger." He stood.

"I'll walk you to the door." Thomas said, leaving his wife and daughter to speak quietly. "Thank you, for this." He said quietly to Snape at the door.

"I will do what I can to protect your daughter, you have my word on that Mr. Granger." Severus said.

"Something tells me that you will. You've fought in a war before, haven't you?" He could see it in the way Snape held himself.

"Yes, I am one of the veterans of the last war. My role is less front lines and more counterintelligence, but I can handle myself when called upon to do so." He reassured the man. "Your daughter is a bright young witch, I'll help her to survive this."

Thomas took his hand and shook it firmly again. "That's all anyone can ask."

Severus nodded and cast his disillusionment charm again before Thomas opened the door to let him out. The man looked around a moment as if checking on the source of some mystery sound before shutting and locking it behind the Professor.

ooOoo

Hermione hugged her parents tightly as they said goodbye at King's Cross. She knew that she wouldn't be seeing them until this was all over. She kissed them both on the cheek before they headed off and she wiped at the tears on her cheeks as she headed through the barrier and went towards the train. She saw Harry and Ron and went over to join them. "How was your Christmas?" She asked.

"Brilliant, yours?" Ron said.

"It was nice to spend time with Mum and Dad." She smiled warmly and walked with them to a compartment on the train. "How's Sirius doing Harry?"

"He's looking almost back to normal. Remus says he's still got some healing to do but he should be good as new by the summer." Harry smiled happily.

"Thank god." Hermione said.

"He was asking about you, since he knew you were nearly as bad off as he was after the battle." Harry said.

"You can let him know I'm all healed up and back to normal." She smiled, thankful for the glamour that the Professor had taught her.

"You're looking a lot better. You were looking really pale and peaky before the break." Ron said.

"I hadn't been sleeping well, I just really needed to be home for a bit. Mum's cooking really seemed to do the trick." She smiled and lied through her perfect teeth. They chatted back and forth a bit before she excused herself to see to her Prefect duties, Ron trailing reluctantly behind her this time. She'd given him a talking to for skipping patrols before Christmas. She just gave Draco a nod, not addressing his warning but trying to let him know that she was handling it.

The return feast was delicious and it was nice to be able to eat without her stomach rebelling. Her eyes wandered up to the head table and she saw that Snape was pointedly ignoring her and she took the hint and averted her eyes. It felt surreal, thinking about everything that had happened over the last two weeks. She coloured a bit as she remembered some of her less than stellar moments, and was forever grateful that he'd promised to never speak of them. She had a bit of treacle tart and listened to the banter around her. Ron and Lavender were being sickeningly sweet again, and Harry was shyly trying to talk to Ginny. Hermione for her part was trying to ignore Cormac McLaggen as he stared at her and ate his pie in a rather obscene manner. The boy honestly turned her stomach.

She finally pushed away from her seat as others started to clear the great hall. "I'll see you all up in the common Room." She said and headed out.

"Miss Granger." Snape's voice carried to her.

"Professor?" She turned.

"The Headmaster wishes to see you in his office. The password is Droobles." He made a face.

Hermione nodded and took a deep breath. "Does he…" She asked quietly.

"He only knows about your letters Miss Granger." Severus said.

She swallowed and nodded. "Thank you, for passing along the message." She said and shifted her course, heading for the Headmaster's office. She gave the password to the statue and rode the staircase upwards. Her stomach was in knots but she knew that she could do this. She knocked on the door before entering. "Headmaster?"

"Ah Miss Granger, please come in and have a seat. Sherbert Lemon?" He offered.

"No thank you Sir." She sat down and smiled. "I've never been one for sweets."

"I've never been able to get over my fondness for them." Albus said and took one. "I trust you had a pleasant Christmas break?"

"It was good to spend time with my parents." She smiled warmly. "I miss them."

"Family is one of life's joys Miss Granger, never forget that." He said quietly. "I had a conversation with Professor Snape over the Holidays and he informed me that you had been receiving very distressing letters and that they were cursed." He said.

"I didn't know they were cursed Sir. The Professor noticed I was not myself and had asked me to stay after class to discuss my diminished performance in his class. It told him what had been happening and he'd asked to see the letters. He removed the curse and explained why I'd been having such a hard time. He suggested that since I seemed to be a target for the Death Eaters that I should consider going into hiding until things were over. I don't want to hide Sir. This is my fight, more than anyone's." Her jaw set into determined lines. "I have as much right to practice magic as any pureblood and I don't care what I have to do to prove that."

Albus nodded, taking in both her words and the hard look in her eyes. "It was decided during the first war that entrance into the Order of the Pheonix was to be restricted to witches and wizards that were of age. This is why you, Harry, and Ronald have thus far been kept in the dark about much of the Order's activities. Professor Snape makes a very good case for your admission to the Order, ahead of your classmates." He started. "Firstly, if you agree to join the Order you cannot share anything you learn with Harry or Mr. Weasley unless you are given explicit permission to do so. Second, you will be assigned missions and duties as I see fit, to be performed without question. You may not always agree with the tasks set to you Miss Granger, but I do expect you to pull your weight. Can you agree to those terms?"

Hermione nodded. "I can, provided that the secrets I'm asked to keep don't put Harry's life in danger." She added that caveat.

Albus nodded. "Very well Miss Granger, welcome to the Order of the Pheonix." He said and called for tea. "I do have a specific duty in mind for you, and it should not interfere too greatly with your duties to the school as a Prefect or your schoolwork."

"What did you have in mind, Sir?" She asked.

"Most of the order is organized into pairs. Miss Tonks and Remus are paired together, Kingsley and Moody, as well as others. There is however one very vital member of the Order that does not have the benefit of a partner to assist them in dangerous situations. Professor Snape." He began and when she didn't protest immediately he continued, encouraged by the lack of reaction. "Simply due to the nature of his duties as a spy, it's not conducive to him working with anyone. I've asked others to assist him in the past and given his personality I'm sure you can imagine that those requests were met with some…reservation. However, with things picking up I cannot always be on call to assist the Professor when he returns from meeting with the Dark Lord. Often he returns injured, and in need of medical attention. You will be notified on the nights he is summoned and be available to render any care required, and relay any vital information that cannot wait until morning to me or to Minerva if I am unavailable. While not a dangerous assignment, it is vital to the success of our efforts." He said.

Hermione nodded. "Of course. Whatever is needed." She could think of far worse things to have to do.

"I would also ask that you keep eyes and ears open when among your fellow students. Some of your peers have parents amongst the Death Eaters and you might overhear something of value." He said. "You are welcome in this office at any time should you hear something that you feel may be important to the Order."

"Of course Headmaster." Hermione said.

"I will inform Severus of your assignment to him, and he will doubtlessly be in touch to instruct you on how he wishes you to execute your orders." Albus said. "I won't keep you any longer, you'd best head back to Gryffindor Tower Miss Granger."

"Yes Sir…and thank you, for trusting me." Hermione said as she stood.

"You've earned that trust dear girl…now off you go." He said.

Hermione nodded and left, heading up to Gryffindor Tower. A small part of her felt like this was a bit of a pat on the head, something to let her feel like she was contributing without doing much but if the Professor often did return injured perhaps it wasn't. She entered the Common Room and went to sit with Harry.

"What did Snape want?" He'd seen the greasy git drag her off to the side.

"Professor Snape, Harry." She corrected automatically. "The Headmaster had wanted to talk to me, he was just relaying the message." She told him.

"What about?" Harry frowned.

"I've been getting threatening letters for a while now. The Headmaster wanted to talk to me about them." She told Harry, deciding a little truth was better than lying.

"Who's been threatening you?" Harry looked both angry and worried. "Was that what's been bothering you all year?"

"I think it's Dolohov, though I don't know how he's getting the letters out of Azkaban." She sighed. "The Headmaster wanted to reassure me that I'll be protected in case he gets out. And yeah, I started getting them just after my birthday in September. You were dealing with a lot and I didn't want to worry you. They were just letters after all." She said quietly.

Harry slipped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her. "Hey…I'm allowed to worry about my best mate." He whispered quietly. "That bastard is never going to get his hands on you." He promised her.

Hermione hugged him back tightly, trying not to cry. "Don't you ever change Harry." She whispered, hoping that they'd win this war and all be around after to celebrate together.

"I promise." He said, hoping everything would be ok. He let her go and they just sat together in front of the fire while the rest of the Common room headed up to bed. He finally squeezed her hand. "Come on, we both need to get some sleep. Just…if you ever need to talk, about anything just talk to me. I don't care what else is going on, you're my friend and I want to be there for you." He met her eyes.

"Ok." She gave him another quick hug and headed up to her dorm. She nodded to Lavender and Parvati. "Have a nice Christmas?" She asked the girls.

"It was great. Won-won gave me this!" Lavender was practically bouncing in her seat as she showed the girls her new bracelet.

Hermione forced a smile. "It's lovely!" She said warmly. "I'm really happy for you too, you're a cute couple." Even though they made her want to vomit, it was the polite thing to say.

"You sure you're not upset? I mean…everyone kind of thought you two were…" Lavender said, biting her bottom lip.

"Certainly not. Really, you're welcome to him." Hermione laughed a bit. "I know him too well to ever want to date him." She looked surprised as Parvati grabbed her wrist and tugged her to sit.

"So, are you seeing anyone?" Parvati asked, never having been able to pull Hermione book-worm Granger into a girl talk session.

"Not right now, most boys are just so…immature." She said with a huff, getting it off her chest.

"Cormac's been paying a lot of attention to you." Lavender said.

Hermione made a face. "He makes my skin crawl to be honest. I think I like my men a little less, handsy." She said.

"He is a bit forward. Being a pureblood you think he'd have better manners." Parvati said. "I saw him manhandle you back before Christmas, if he tried that with me I'd have hexed him silly, and so should you." She advised. "He knows better."

"So he's doing that because I'm muggleborn?" Her eyebrow raised and then she got a murderous expression on her face.

"Probably just figures you'd be so flattered by the attention that you'd let him do whatever he likes." Parvati said. "I advise hexing him. He'd expect it from any of us." She said.

"I think I'll take that advice." Hermione said, mind already considering just what she was going to do to him. The girls sat and discussed the relative merits of a host of other boys before they decided to call it a night.

ooOoo

"Miss Granger, you will remain behind." Severus' silky voice carried through the classroom as the other students were all packing their things away. He ignored the glares from the other two thirds of the Golden Trio and when the last student had left the room he flicked his wand at the door, locking and warding it.

"Professor." She shouldered her book back and headed to the front of the classroom.

"The Headmaster informed me of your new responsibilities." He began. "Meet me back in this classroom at eight this evening and I will walk you through the procedures you'll need to adhere to in the event I am called away." He looked distinctly uncomfortable with it but was not taking it out on her.

"Of course Professor." She said.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, moving past the more awkward topic.

"Much better Sir, I've been using some of the visualization exercises to help with getting to sleep." She said, remembering her promise to be honest with him. "They don't always work but at least I'm able to get even a few hours now."

"Remove your glamour." Severus said.

Hermione touched her wand to her temple and made a harsh flicking motion, the glamour melting away.

"You're still very pale." He said and moved forward, checking her pulse and using his thumb to pull down her lower eyelid. "The discolouration is nearly gone." He released her face and moved back, going behind his desk and grabbed a slender potion bottle. "Drink this, and then I think by next week you should be able to forgo the glamour entirely." He said.

"What is it Sir?" She asked, looking at the bottle. It was a strange colour, and she couldn't readily identify it.

"It's a personal potion of my own creation. It speeds recovery from stress. It will, for lack of a better description, put some colour back in your cheeks." He said.

She laughed a little and opened it, drinking it down obediently and handed the empty bottle back. She felt a flush of warmth fill her. "Why is it your potions always taste so much better than the ones in the infirmary?" She arched an eyebrow.

"Why would I inflict further suffering on myself?" He chuckled. "Keep working on your visualization exercises, and once you are having consistent success I can lead you through some guided mediations to help banish those nightmares." He said. "That will be all for today Miss Granger."

Hermione nodded and reapplied the glamour. "I'll see you this evening Professor." She said and once he'd dropped the wards she headed into the hall, unsurprised to see Ron and Harry lingering. "Let's head up to the Great Hall, I am starving." She said.

"What did he want?" Harry asked.

"Nothing important, I'd handed in some sub-par work before the holidays he was just expressing his satisfaction that I was back on form." She shrugged. "You know he could never compliment a Gryffindor in front of his class." She chuckled.

"All right." Harry frowned suspiciously and went with her up to lunch.

Hermione had to bite her tongue as Cormac came and sat down next to her, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

"So Hermione, Hogsmede weekend coming up in a couple of weeks. Want to go to Madam Pudifoots with me?" He gave her a brilliant smile.

Hermione slipped her wand out and smiled sweetly at him. "Normally I would love to…but I don't know that you'll be ready to be in public by then." She said smirking as huge zits started appearing all over his face.

"What the HELL!" He said as everyone at the Gryffindor table started to laugh at him. He covered his face and ran out of the Great Hall, while Hermione just sipped her pumpkin juice with a very self-satisfied smile on her face.

"Nice going Granger." Parvati smiled and nodded to Hermione from across the table.

"If he tries it again he's going to sporting bright pink hair for a month." She promised, and felt that for at least this moment in time…all was well.

"You really are scary sometimes Hermione, brilliant and scary." Ron chuckled from across the table where he was sitting with Lavender.

"And don't you forget it." She said with a smirk.

ooOoo

That night found Hermione down in the dungeons, a disillusionment charm letting her get to the Potion's classroom without being seen by anyone. She sat down and waited, standing when the door opened and the Professor entered. "Come with me." He said simply and showed her down a clearly little used corridor and paused in front of a statue of Bagnold the Terrible. He tapped it with his wand twice and said "Idris".

The statue moved to the side and the stone wall disappeared to reveal another corridor. She followed behind him, unable to help but feel a little claustrophobic. This passageway was narrow and seemed to wind through the dungeons with countless twists and turns. The finally reached a heavy door and the Professor opened it, leading them outside.

"Are we in the forest?" She asked.

"Yes. Keep close Miss Granger." He said and took her down a worn path to where a little cabin sat. "This cabin is just inside Hogwart's wards. On nights when I have been summoned you will remain inside it until I return." He showed her where the markers were showing the actual ward line. "Under no circumstances are you ever to pass the ward line…do you understand me?" He met her eyes.

"I understand Professor." She nodded, not needing him to explain why. If he was followed, she would be safe inside the wards but outside of them she was vulnerable.

He nodded and took her inside the cabin. There was a rough-hewn table with two chairs by the hearth, a basic bed along the one wall, and then a shelf filled with a plethora of potion's bottles. "The fireplace is connected to the Headmaster's office only. In a dire emergency, simply throw a handful of floo powder into the fire and say 'Emergency'. If the headmaster is available he will come right through. If he is not, you will simply need to do the very best you can until he arrives." He said and sat down wearily. "I would not have chosen you for this, but I appreciate that you were willing to assist me."

Hermione sat down. "It seemed the least I could do." She said quietly.

"I will give you a book on healing spells, and I suggest you commit it to memory. The most likely scenarios you will need to deal with is the after effects of the Cruciatus Curse. On the second shelf there is a small bottle filled with an amber coloured liquid. It is labelled simply with a letter C. If I arrive and am unable to speak, or am overcome by tremors…get that into me as soon as possible. It may lightly sedate me, so then you will need to assess me for any other injuries and deal with them accordingly." He said. "I warn you that I am not a terribly gracious patient." He said.

"I seem to recall nearly breaking your nose while I was your patient not too long ago." She said and shrugged. "I think I'll be able to manage." She promised. "How will I know if you've been summoned?" She asked.

He slipped something out of his pocket. It was a small black velvet pouch and he handed it to her. "As of tonight you will wear this at all time. Never take it off, for any reason." He said. "It serves a multitude of purposes. If I am summoned by the Dark Lord, it will heat up noticeably, so wear it against your skin. It has moderate protection charms on it, and it is also an emergency portkey. In a situation of dire need wrap your hand around the stone and say 'Home'. By dire need I mean a situation where your life is in jeopardy. It will take you somewhere safe and I will know you've activated it." He met her eyes.

Hermione opened the pouch and spilled it out into her hand. It was a necklace. The chain was gold and the pendant was a highly polished piece of bloodstone. The stone was dark green, almost black, with vivid flecks of crimson through it. It was pretty enough that most people would assume it was just a piece of jewelry. She slipped it on and tucked it under her shirt to sit against her skin. "Do you have one?" She asked him.

He nodded and lifted a chain from under his shirt. His stone a flat disc of Onyx. "As a spy it's valuable to have an escape plan. These can only transport one person, and are strong enough to rip through even anti-apparition wards. They lost their effectiveness if anyone knows about them. I am very serious about this Miss Granger that stone stays around your neck regardless if you're sleeping, in the shower, or in bed with your boyfriend. If it heats up, you will get yourself out to this cabin and wait until I return, regardless of how long it takes. There are times when I won't return until nearly breakfast the next morning. If that comes and goes, you still need to stay. Use the floo to contact the Headmaster, but you remain and wait." He said.

"I won't let you down Professor." She said quietly, seeing that was deadly serious. "How often does he call for you?"

"It varies. Lately he had been quiet…but I expect things will change soon. He always gets more active towards the end of the school year." He said. "If I ever am followed back here Miss Granger, run back to the school. Do not try and help me. I need your word on that."

She nodded. "I promise Professor Snape."

"Very well." He said and hissed as his arm began to burn. "It seems you will get your first taste of your new responsibilities tonight." He stood. "There are a few books by the bed, and the house elves can bring you tea. My elf's name is Mipsy. Stay inside the cabin." He said and left the cabin, stalking across the ward line and then he disapparated with a mighty crack.

Hermione's mouth was still hanging open a little but she stood and shut the door to the cabin and with the flick of her wand she got a fire going in the grate. She could feel the insistent warmth of the stone against her skin and knew that she wouldn't ever miss it. She took her time looking over the potions on the shelf, identifying many of them by sight. There were a couple she didn't recognize but most she had a very good idea how to use them. She found the stack of books by the bed and found that one of them was indeed on healing spells. She settled in and started reading.

As the hours dragged on she felt her eyes getting heavy and she set the book down. "Mipsy!" She called.

"Yes?" The elf popped through.

"Can I have coffee and something to snack on?" She asked.

"Right away friend of Potions Master!" She nodded vigourously and disappeared. A few moments later a mug of coffee, a carafe with more coffee in it and a tray with sugar and cream appeared. There was a large plate of cookies and pastries.

Hermione smiled and made her coffee up the way she liked it and nibbled on a pastry while she kept vigil. As she was nearing the end of the book she heard the crack of someone apparating. She stood and went to the window, looking out and seeing Professor Snape walking unsteadily towards the cabin. She opened the door and helped him to the chair.

"Potion Miss Granger." He said, holding himself stiffly.

She grabbed the bottle and opened it, handing it to him. He drank it down and she set it aside. "How bad are you?"

"I won't be requiring anything else Miss Granger." He said and closed his eyes for a moment. "Go through the floo to the Headmaster's office, I will follow. We need to inform him about what I learned tonight." He stood and wavered a little.

Hermione reached out to steady him and ignored his grumble. "You go through first." She said and tossed some floo powder in.

"Headmaster's office." He said and stepped through.

Hermione followed him through, and saw the Headmaster coming out from a door at the back of the office. She helped Professor Snape to a chair.

"Severus…what news?" He asked.

"The Azkaban breakout will occur in five days. They plan to release everyone Albus." He said.

"I'll get word to Kingsley, immediately." Albus said. "What else Severus?"

"They've infiltrated key departments in the Ministry all ready. It's looking like they will have control by the middle of summer, at the latest. They were starting to discuss policy changes, and bills to be passed almost immediately once they seize control. Muggleborns will need to prove magical ancestry, or they'll be imprisoned for magical theft." He looked over at his student. "They intend to go after your support base, and Potter is to be apprehended for his own 'protection'. I am to discover when you mean to move him from his relatives and pass the information to the Dark Lord." He said.

"Magical theft!" Hermione looked at them utterly horrified. "How can I prove magical ancestry…?"

"There is a common theory that muggleborns are descended from Squibs, forcing people to prove that will mean that there are no actual muggleborns, just lost magic that is returning to the community. It serves to further remove us from the Muggle world." Severus said quietly. "I can perform the required ancestry test for you. If we cannot find a magical ancestor Miss Granger you will need to go into hiding after this summer."

"We can't let them take the Ministry." She looked at the Headmaster who had a sad expression on his face.

"We cannot prevent it Miss Granger." Albus said sadly. "We do not have the numbers, and the Dark Lord has been recruiting far more effectively than we have. The only hope we have is to assist Mr. Potter in destroying the Dark Lord's Horcruxes and then in facing him when the time comes. Until then, the order of the day is survival…however we can." He met her eyes. "Severus, if you would be so good as to incorporate the lineage potion into all years, one through seven where muggleborn students are present. We need to know who will need to be protected." He said.

Hermione felt tears stinging her eyes. They weren't going to do anything? "How can you just let this happen?" She stood.

"Sometimes you need to lose a battle to win the war Miss Granger." Albus said.

"This isn't a game! This is my life! The lives of all the other muggleborn students in this school, in the wizarding world! This is not a battle you can lose." She raged at him, electricity sparking off her hair as her magic swirled around her.

Severus stood and reached out, touching her shoulder. "Hermione." He said quietly, trying not to wince at the sheer power flowing off of her in that moment. "Pull it back." He ordered her firmly, gritting his teeth against the sensations spearing through his skin. It was like trying to touch a live wire.

She swallowed her power down painfully and let the Professor guide her to sit. She angrily wiped at the tears on her face.

"We have no intention of letting them lock you up, or anyone else. We will do everything we can to prevent that Miss Granger." Severus spoke quietly. "Do you believe me?" He asked her, waiting patiently for her to look him in the eye. She nodded very slightly. "We have warning, which gives us time to prepare."

Hermione sniffed and nodded quietly. "I'm sorry." 

"Don't apologize. You have every right to be angry." Severus said. "Here you are not a student, you are a member of the Order and you have a right to speak your mind." He squeezed her hand and then sat back in his chair. "I will prepare the potion for all those affected, hopefully some of them can be spared."

"Very well. When we have plans for Potter's move I will come up with something you can tell the Dark Lord to keep him satisfied. We'll speak more tomorrow night, for now I believe we could all use our beds. Miss Granger would you be kind enough to see Severus to his quarters, he looks a little worse for wear." He stood.

"Of course Headmaster." She said quietly and moved to help her Potions master stand. She let him put an arm around her shoulder and her arm wrapped around his waist. Together they left the Headmaster's office and made their way down into the dungeons. She remembered the twists and turns to get there and soon they were in his rooms and she helped him to his favourite chair. "I should go, I have class tomorrow."

"Don't be ridiculous Miss Granger. It's nearly five in the morning. Grab an invigorating potion from my stores, take it, and then sit down." He said. "Grab one for me as well." It was never advisable to mix these potions but he'd done it enough that he knew the only side effect he was likely to suffer was a brutal headache by noon. There were things to go over.

She handed him the potion and took one herself. A wave of artificial alertness flowed through her and she felt like she'd had a good night's sleep. She sat down across from him.

"Don't make a habit of what you did tonight with Albus, it's not in your best interests." He said quietly, watching her face.

Hermione felt cold at the implications in his words. "I couldn't help it."

"You need to learn. He'll forgive it this once, because of the hour of the morning and the subject involved, but if you make a habit of it you may find yourself on more dangerous assignments." He was deadly serious. "Like you said earlier tonight, this is not a game Miss Granger. The stakes are very real and Albus' goals are quite narrow. If he feels you are a danger to those goals he will find a way to get rid of you."

"He'd kill me?" She looked disbelieving.

"Not personally, he simply wouldn't try too terribly hard to save you. It wouldn't be the first time." Severus said and called for coffee. "He cast the Fidelus Charm for the Potters, he knew who their secret keeper was Miss Granger." He said quietly.

"If he knew then why did he leave Sirius in Azkaban?" She felt a rise of bile in the back of her throat just at the implications.

"Answer your own question, you are after all supposed to be the brightest witch of your age." He snorted.

"He was Harry's godfather. He wouldn't have let the Headmaster place Harry with the Dursleys." She said quietly, seeing the pieces falling into place and the picture was disturbing. "He knew what they'd do Harry. He wanted him isolated and impressionable."

Severus nodded. "I have my suspicions why, but until I am sure I won't voice them." He said and sipped his coffee. "Going forward, hold your anger until we are alone. Inside these rooms you may speak your mind."

"Thank you Professor." She said quietly and added some cream and sugar to her coffee.

"Do you often have outbursts of power like that?" Severus asked, still having a slight tingle in his hand from where he'd touched her.

"Only when I'm really angry. Harry told me once that my hair shoots blue sparks when I really get going." She said a bit sheepishly.

"Normally such displays of power taper off as a witch approaches adulthood. We may need to work on your wandless and non-verbal casting to give you an outlet for all that extra magic." He grinned, a tiny pearl of an idea taking root in his brain. "I'll begin the lineage potion today after classes, it takes three days to brew and then we can test it. It will trace your family tree back ten generations." He said.

"I still hate this. Why does it matter where my magic came from? I have it." She made a frustrated sound.

"It doesn't, but they're going to make it matter so it's best to know what is lurking in your family tree before others discover it. Once we know we can plan." Severus said. He wasn't sure why he cared so much, but something about this girl had snuck under his skin and he wanted to try and help her survive the storm that was coming. "Go to bed early tonight, you'll need your rest."

She nodded. "I have the afternoon free, so I might just take a nap." She said.

"Good. I will inform Minerva of your duties for the Order, so that way you won't get into trouble for being out all night and if necessary she can run interference with Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter." He said, rubbing his temple.

She nodded quietly. "Do you mind if I use your bathroom and freshen up a bit?" She needed to get cleaned up before the other students started waking up.

"Not at all Miss Granger." He said kindly. He watched her leave the room and he closed his eyes for a moment. He could have skinned Albus alive for pairing her with him, but he supposed it was better than her being put with someone else that wouldn't have a care for her safety like that mutt Black. She was young but had a good head on her shoulders, providing that temper of hers didn't get her killed. He did have to admit watching her thunder away at Albus Dumbledore like he was one of her dunderheaded classmates was a high point of the evening. He wasn't even certain Albus knew quite what to think of it. He chuckled a little and sipped his coffee.

She came back out looking more like her usual, put together self. "Thank you Professor."

"Disillusion yourself before leaving my chambers, it would not be good for anyone to see you down here at this hour." He said quietly. "I'll send a note when the potion is prepared and ready to be tested."

Hermione nodded and cast the charm on herself before leaving his quarters. She moved through the dungeons, hugging the wall to avoid some of the older Slytherins and was eternally grateful that Snape had reminded her to use the charm. She could only imagine what Theodore Nott would have said seeing her leaving his Head of House's section of the dungeons at 5:30am. She ducked into an alcove and released the charm before heading into the great hall. There were a few people there, most notably the entire Hufflepuff Quidditch team. She sat down at the empty Gryffindor table and started on her breakfast grateful for the peace and quiet to start processing everything.


	4. Earning Your Way

ooOoo

Severus carefully removed the cauldron from the flame and drew a wickedly sharp pen knife from its sheath and extended his hand. "Miss Granger?" He said expectantly.

Hermione laid her hand in his. She'd rolled her sleeve up and looked away as he cut deeply and extended it over the cauldron. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore as he massaged around the cut to encourage blood flow. She started feeling faint before he used his wand to seal the deep cut and guided her to sit in the chair.

Severus returned to the cauldron and stirred the cooling liquid, dispersing the blood evenly through it. As he continued to stir, the potion turned a deep cerulean blue. He then rolled out a large sheet of parchment and carefully poured the potion over the page. The entire cauldron soaked into the paper and it began to glow. Spidery lines began to appear, scrawling outwards. He watched as it began with her name at the very bottom of the page. Her parents appeared next and from there it began to branch out. He began to laugh as they hit her great grandparents on her mother's side. "Miss Granger, it appears that you are descended from the house of Blishwick on your mother's side. Your maternal grandmother was a Squib." He turned and helped her stand. "Muggles are represented in Black, squibs show as blue, witches and wizards appear in gold." He said and showed her name in glowing golden letters.

"So on my father's side, I go back to the Notts?" She gave him a dubious look. "Charming." She made a face.

"It means that you have documentable Magical ancestry…and are actually heir to a previously extinct Noble House." He said quietly. "We'll need to take you to Gringotts and have this verified, but it means you will be safe Miss Granger, and that was the relevant issue." He wondered if she understood what that meant for her future. He watched her run her fingers over the parchment.

"So that means that I'm just a lucky confluence of two magical lines?" She whispered.

"It means that there may be a shred of truth in the theory behind muggleborns, or you may be an anomaly. In all the years I've been teaching you are by the far the most talented witch of your background I have taught." He shrugged. "It does not matter, what matters is that if the Goblins certify your descent…you will be protected from the Dark Lord's new laws. They may come after you in other ways but they cannot throw you into Azkaban." He met her eyes. "It is a small victory, but a victory nonetheless."

She swallowed and touched her head. "Do you have a blood-replenishing potion handy?" She asked.

"Certainly, sit down." He guided her to her seat and went to his cabinet and found the right bottle. "Here you are." He said.

"Thank you Professor." Hermione drank it and made a face, it tasted just like blood. She set the bottle aside and closed her eyes. She didn't know how to feel about what she'd been shown. Something of her struggle must have shown on her face.

"Miss Granger…magic is magic, where it came from doesn't matter. What does matter is what you do with it." He pulled a chair over and sit in front of her.

"I just don't understand why it matters so much to them." She said quietly. "Why they have to make us feel less than they are."

"It's a complicated thing, but it's easier to blame the ills of a society on an outlying element than look at the true causes of the problems." He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Our traditions are dying out along with many of the old family lines. Newcomers to our world don't seem to want to learn to embrace the old ways, seeing them as archaic or exclusionary. Some wizards use that to punish their political rivals by outlawing or condemning practices they disapprove of. So many areas of magic are now considered dark or illegal simply because of legislation. Traditionalist were bound to start pushing back." He said quietly. "The Dark Lord merely gave a focus to that anger, however wrong it is."

Hermione found herself nodding. "Why did you join him?" She asked.

"That is a tale for another day Miss Granger. You need to get back to your Common Room, you've been occupied with Order business too many nights this week all ready." He said, not wanting her friends to start wondering about her activities.

Hermione nodded, realizing she'd pushed a bit too far. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." She said and stood, grabbing her book bag.

"You did mean to pry. I am not offended by the question, not when asked in such an honestly respectful manner." He said. "Another time, you may ask me that question again and I will take the time to answer it properly."

"Thank you Professor." She gave him a small smile and headed out of the classroom. She headed down the corridors and blinked at Draco appeared from seemingly out of nowhere.

"A little out of your area of the castle, aren't you Granger?" He said blocking her path.

"Just taking some friendly advice." She said carefully…not sure if anyone else was around.

Draco inclined his head a little, and cast a quick _muffilato_ around them. "Is the Professor going to help you?"

She nodded. "They'll be safe." She said. "Thank you Draco." She said.

He nodded. "Watch your back." He dispelled the privacy spell and continued on his way, not looking back.

Hermione shook her head a little and left the dungeons. She was nearly to Gryffindor tower when Harry and Ron found her.

"Where were you? We checked the whole Library!" Ron made a face.

"Professor Snape was letting me redo one of my assignments from first term, since my attention was less than perfect." She said. "I think the Headmaster spoke to him about what had been happening." She said.

"I'll never understand you Hermione, it's bad enough we have to spend one class a week with the greasy dungeon bat never mind doing it on your own time." Ron said, rolling his eyes and giving the password to the portrait.

"Don't be disrespectful Ronald." Hermione sighed and followed them in. "Just because the Headmaster forced him to include you and Harry in the class doesn't mean the rest of us can skate on our work." She said.

"What! I got an E on my Potion's OWL!" Ron said.

"And the Professor was clear he only accepts O students. How did you think you got in?" She gave him a frosty look. "The rest of us actually had to earn it."

"Hermione." Harry said, trying to forestall the blow up he could see coming.

"No! I am tired of defending myself for studying and making up assignments that didn't live up to my standards with both of you! I don't have someone handing me things when I fall short, and I wouldn't WANT THEM TO!" She rounded on Harry. "You say you hate being the 'Famous Harry Potter'…then stop letting people use that excuse to give you things you didn't earn." She said.

"Hermione I needed Potions to apply to the Auror Program! It's not fair that Snape…" Harry said, jaw snapping shut as she got into his face.

"Professor Snape doesn't grade the Potion's Owl, that's done by the Ministry. He told every single one of us that to get into Newt Potions we needed an O on our OWL. Everyone else who wanted to advance put in the work. We booked practice time in the potion's lab, we studied…we EARNED those O's. You just skated through, and then when you didn't get the O well…we can't have Harry Potter held to the same standards as everyone else…" She said. "And of COURSE his best mate needs to get in too…though how either of you even managed an E on that Owl is beyond me." She said. "So I am DONE! Do your own assignments, and manage your own time." She spun and stalked up the stairs to the girl's dormitory and left two very stunned boys standing in her wake, who were suddenly aware that the entire Common Room had heard the whole thing.

"Can you believe the nerve of her!" Ron finally said once he found his tongue.

"She's right." Neville said and stood, grabbing his books. "I needed my Newt Potions too...but I didn't get the grade I needed. Hermione worked for hours with me in the lab trying to help me prepare for the Owl. I only got an E, and I knew when I saw my results that I would have to make new plans for my future." He shrugged. "She works harder than anyone here. I'm just surprised it's taken her this long to let you both have it."

Harry put a hand on Ron's shoulder, stopping him from saying anything else. "You're right Nev, but I never asked to be bumped up into that class." He said.

"Then you should have told Snape that you didn't earn it, and wouldn't accept special favours." Neville said. "Otherwise you're saying you're ok with getting special favours because of who you are."

Harry just nodded and went to sit down by the fire, realizing that Hermione and Neville were right. He tuned out Ron's complaining as Neville left the Common Room. The more he thought about what she'd said, the more it bothered him. He wondered how many other Professors had cut him slack over the years because of who he was. This year Professor Snape had basically ignored him and Ron, as if they weren't even in the classroom at all. He frowned as he thought about even their class earlier in the week. Snape had stalked through the room and spent time with every other student, either offering quiet feedback or suggestions on the Elixir to Induce Euphoria they had been attempting. He and Ron were mostly just happy to not be the target of his cutting remarks, but now that he actually thought about it, it had been very strange.

His essays back from the man had been oddly devoid of his usually liberal cutting remarks. There had only been a grade in the top corner, with no feedback on improving it. His potions turned in at the end of class were also returned with only a grade. He realized that it was Snape's own version of protest. He'd allow Harry to be in his class, because he had no choice…but he'd leave him to sink or swim on his own. While he'd been forced to accept him into the class this year, he still needed to pass his exams this June to continue for next year. He felt his stomach drop realizing that unlike the OWL, his exams would be administered and marked by Snape. So far this year he'd gotten no mark higher than an A, even with Hermione's help. He felt physically ill and realized that Snape was just waiting for the exam so he could cut him and Ron from Potions. He'd show Albus the failing grade and use that as proof that he had no business being in the Newt class.

"I'm going to go to bed." Harry said quietly and stood.

"Aww, come on Harry…don't let them get to you." Ron said. "Play a round of Exploding Snap with me."

"No thanks. I'm not in the mood. Goodnight Ron." Harry said and left the Common Room, going up to his dorm and quickly getting ready for bed and shutting the curtains around his bed. He needed to deal with this, or his dreams of being an Auror one day were really done.

ooOoo

Harry took a shaky breath and knocked on Professor Snape's office door. It was common knowledge that the Professor was available in his office every day between the end of classes and dinner, he'd just never taken advantage of it. He'd realized around one o'clock that morning that he needed to swallow his dislike of the man and address the elephant he'd never realized was in the room.

"Enter." Snape's voice carried through the heavy wooden door.

Harry entered and swallowed nervously. "Professor Snape…I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time?"

Snape arched an eyebrow. "These are my office hours Mr. Potter, anyone may have a moment should they choose to wander down here. Close the door behind you, and tell me what you wish to discuss." He said, almost civilly. "If you're capable of forming coherent sentences…" He trailed off.

Harry pushed down the immediate rise of his temper and sat down. "Sir…did the Headmaster make you include me in your class this year?"

Severus looked a little surprised but merely inclined his head by way of answer. "Since I first began to teach potions at this school I have made it clear I will only accept O students into my Newt program. Did you think that I would willingly make an exception for anyone, particularly a student like you that has never demonstrated an ounce of initiative in my class?" He said.

"No sir…I suppose not." He looked down. "I didn't ask him to, but I realize by not asking how it happened it's just as bad. I…is there any way that I can improve my standing in your course Sir?" He asked.

"In the usual way Potter, you'll need to put in the work. There is no reason you could not have achieved an O on your OWL last year, if you had chosen to put the work in. Your mother was brilliant and your father, whatever else he might have been, was not completely unintelligent. You are perfectly aware of the role I play for Order, and that I cannot publically encourage your efforts in any way. I have never given you a grade you did not deserve, regardless of your opinions on the matter." He said quietly. "If you are serious about improving your performance in my class the first year potion's lab is available every evening from the time after the end of classes until curfew. The sign-up sheet is just there. There is also an order form for Slugg and Jigger's Apothecary so you may order extra ingredients for your practice sessions. School stores are not to be used for any extra-circular brewing." He said. "This has been available since your first year, though for years one through three I require an older student to supervise. I've made no secret of it, and mentioned it every single year in the first class after winter break." He said. "I only accept O students because they have demonstrated not only ability but a true grasp of the subject. Newt level potions are much more difficult, and hold the potential for more danger if mis-brewed. I only accept the very best students because I also take it upon myself to help in arranging apprenticeships for them after Newts are completed. Next year I set independent studies which require both understand and finesse, things I find greatly lacking in E and A students. If you want to have a hope of passing my final exam this year, I suggest you get to work." He gave him a dark smile.

Harry swallowed thickly. "Yes Sir." He said quietly.

"Is there anything else Mr. Potter?" Severus said silkily, enjoying the look of almost fear on the teen's face.

"No Sir…ummm, thank you Sir." He said and stood, stopped at the sign-up sheet and looking at the schedule. He was surprised to see Draco and Hermione had time booked at least three times a week, and everyone else in the Newt class had a slot once a week. He chose an empty slot and put his name in, and grabbed an owl-order sheet. "Good afternoon Sir." He said and then left the office feeling like an utter idiot. Hermione was right, and he owed her an apology. He headed to the library and found his friend, sitting in her favourite spot under a window. He headed over and saw that she had her runes text open and was making notes.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked quietly.

She lifted her head and looked at him before shrugging.

"I went and talked to Professor Snape." He said quietly. "I'm sorry I was such an idiot."

She gave him a small smile. "You'll still need to do your own work, but I'm glad you went and talked to him."

He nodded. "Yeah, I need to start doing things for myself. I'm sorry I've been taking advantage of you." He reached over and touched her hand. "Are we ok?"

"Yeah, we're ok." She squeezed his hand back. "I'm sorry I snapped on you both, I'm still not sleeping great and I'm trying to get caught back up after everything. I get so tired of Ron harping on me for doing my work." She said.

"I know. It's ok, we're both a bit thick sometimes." He gave her a small smile. "I'll try not to be an arse about it anymore."

"Thanks Harry." She said and moved her hand to go back to her notes. She was pleased to see that he had his potion's text, and even a potion's reference book. She finished her runes homework and pulled out the book she'd grabbed earlier about inheritance laws. Something about the Professor's wording yesterday had struck her as odd. It seemed that when a pureblood house died out, if there was no set will to detail the dispersal of goods and properties those assets would be held by Gringotts until such time as a descendant might come forward to claim them. Squib descendants were still counted as valid, and it had happened several times over the centuries that a line thought extinct came to light through an apparently muggleborn witch or wizard. The goblins would administer their own version of the Lineage potion, though it would require much less blood. Then she would be presented with the relevant family ring. If family magic recognized her, then there was no disputing her claims.

"What are you reading?" Harry asked after a while.

"The Professor mentioned lineage potions the other day and I've been reading about them and their legal implications." She said. "He said that next year he assigns an independent study project to his Newt students, so I was thinking about doing something with lineage potions for muggleborns." She shrugged. "Just thinking ahead."

"Yeah, he mentioned that to me too." Harry said. "When I come up with some ideas for it, can I ask your opinion?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Sure, that would be ok, but I think you need to concentrate on just passing *this* year." She said honestly.

"I've been warned that it won't be easy." Harry nodded, the expression his face pretty grim.

"You're just going to have to work hard." She said. "I know you have a lot on your mind, but this is important Harry. After we win the war…you need to have a future that isn't based just on destroying the Dark Lord. I know you hate being famous for just surviving the Dark Lord as a baby…show everyone that you're more than that." She met his eyes.

Harry nodded. "Then I guess I better get used to living in the library like you." He winked and together the two friends shared a laugh, though quietly to avoid the ire of the librarian.


	5. Bewitching the Mind

**A/N: Updates will be slowing down for the rest of the week (going away to visit some friends) but so happy for the warm reception this fic has gotten. Much love to all my followers & reviewers!**

ooOoo

Things remained quiet for a couple of weeks. The news was filled with tales of the mass escape from Azkaban. There had been a rash of disappearances, all of them had been senior officials in the DMLE and other departments. The Professor had only been summoned once to the Dark Lord and had returned after only a few hours, none the worse for wear. Her eyes were drawn to the owl swooping down towards her at the table. She recognized it as the one that had delivered the other letters. She grabbed her dragon hide gloves out of her bag and slipped them on, accepting the letter from the owl and giving it a piece of bacon. It wasn't the owl's fault that its master was an evil bastard.

"Is it…" Harry trailed off as she tucked it away.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it, there's a plan to deal with them now." Hermione reassured him, glad that they had Potions today. She managed to finish her breakfast without having a panic attack. It was the first letter since Christmas, and even though she hadn't touched it she had a high awareness of the letter in her book bag. She managed to keep her composure as they headed down to the Dungeons. She took her seat and saw the potion on the board, eyebrows raising a little.

The Professor breezed in behind them all. "Today we will be brewing Amortentia. As you all saw on your schedules, I have extended today's class past lunch as each one of you will experience what it feels like to be in the grip of this particular potion. I have the antidote and will administer it to each of you after you have had sufficient time to go through the effects. This is one of the most dangerous potions you will learn to brew in this classroom. While it is classified as a love potion, it would be better described as an infatuation potion. Can you explain why, Miss Granger?" Severus said, looking at the small group.

"Because no potion can actually create true love Professor. It instead creates a deep and consuming infatuation, which can take a violent turn if the potion is brewed incorrectly, or administered in too large a dose." She said.

"Correct. While not technically classified as Dark, there could be a case made for it to be designated as such. Can you explain why Mr. Malfoy?" Severus looked to his other top student.

"Love potions, by definition, subvert free will and Amortentia does so to a greater degree than any other known potion in existence. If administered correctly, it can keep someone under its influence indefinitely." Draco said.

"Indeed. So if I catch any of you trying to keep even a drop of this potion for your own purposes you will find yourself removed from this class permanently, and facing possible expulsion from Hogwarts. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" Severus said and once everyone had nodded he sat down. "Begin."

With those words spoken, Hermione settled at her work station and began to prepare her ingredients. It was a very complicated potion and would take all of her concentration to pull it off. The steam filling the air was rapidly causing her curls to frizz, but she ignored it and kept at the instructions. She started stirring the powdered pearls into her cauldron when she felt the Professor behind her.

"Your colour is off by two shades, how do you correct it?" He asked quietly.

"Half a pinch more pearl dust?" She said after a moment's consideration.

"Do it now." He said, neither confirming her guess nor shooting it down.

Hermione took a pinch and added it bit by bit until the colour corrected. He gave her only a small smile and then continued on. She got to the last step and took her pen knife and pricked her left thumb, squeezing three drops exactly into the cauldron and stirring twice more before shutting off the flame and casting her stasis charm. The beautiful looping spirals of shimmering fumes danced off the surface and she smiled. It was actually quite beautiful. She sat down on her stool and only then looked around. Draco was at the same stage as her, his potion looked equally correct. Theodore Nott was adding his blood, and the Ravenclaws were finishing their stirring. Harry was a good ten minutes from being done and the colour looked wrong. Ron's was belching brown smoke and she wasn't surprised when the professor walked over and vanished the mess with a sneer.

"A zero for today's attempt Mr. Weasley, and three feet on why it was such a dismal failure." Severus sneered. "Clear down your stations once you are finished and sit quietly."

Hermione sat quietly as everyone else finished and cleaned their stations. She was nervous about taking the love potion, even though she knew the Professor would administer the antidote quickly. As the last student sat down quietly, she watched as the professor stalked through the room.

"Everyone will wait out in the hall until I call you back in. I will give you a dose of the potion. You will tell me who brewed it, and after I'm satisfied you understand the true effects of the potion I will administer the antidote. You will all write four feet on Amortentia and its effects. Detailed in those four feet I expect you to describe what you smell when you inhale the fumes, and why you believe those are your triggers. Now, everyone except Mr. Weasley out into the hall. Once you have finished your turn you will go directly to the Great Hall for lunch…anyone caught lingering will lose points." He sent them off.

Hermione left with everyone else and waited patiently. Ron was in there for at least twenty minutes before he left, looking decidedly green around the edges and hurried past them all, almost running away from the classroom. The professor appeared and called in one of the Ravenclaw students and the procedure was repeated. The time varied for each student, some as quick as ten minutes, others much longer. Finally she was the last student waiting in the hallway as Draco left, brushing past her. He was very pale, but at least he didn't run down the hallway like many others had.

"Miss Granger." Severus said and gestured her inside. He cast a quick locking and silencing ward as he had with everyone else. "Before we begin, I believe you have a letter from Dolohov?" He said.

She nodded and put on her gloves, retrieving the letter for him. She watched as he dismantled the curse and then pocketed the letter. She gave him a quizzical look.

"I doubt there is anything inside you want to read, Miss Granger." He said. He'd read it later. "Please take a seat." He said and once she was sitting in the chair he cast a basic sticking charm and handed her a slender vial of the potion. "First breathe the fumes in deeply and describe what you smell."

Hermione closed her eyes and breathed the fumes in. It was a mixture of different smells and it took a moment to identify them. "I smell freshly mown grass, new parchment, and something smokier, sandalwood I think." She said and opened her eyes.

"Now drink."

She tipped the vial into her mouth and felt a strange heat flush through her body. She hadn't felt like this since the night of the Yule Ball, Viktor had pulled her close, lips playing down her throat. She felt her heart speeding up but it wasn't Viktor's face she was imagining. She looked at her Potion's master and she wanted to stand. She struggled against the sticking charm. "Professor…please…I just need to touch you." She begged, needing to go to him. She ached deep inside and knew if she could just touch him that it would be all right. She rubbed her thighs together and her eyes were glued to his hands. She wanted his hands on her, his beautiful…elegant hands.

"Soon…drink this first Miss Granger." Severus said and offered her another vial.

She took it, thinking that if she did he'd release her and then she could run her hands through his hair. It looked so soft. She drank the bitter liquid and then a wave of cold chased the heat away and she realized what she had just said to him. She felt mortified. "Oh god…"

"Just breathe Miss Granger." Severus said and cancelled the sticking charm. He brought over a cup of tea. "I trust you have a solid understanding of the danger of this potion?" He said as he pressed it into her hand.

"Very solid." She said and took the cup, shaking a little. "I would have done anything…"

He nodded. "In truth only yours and Mr. Malfoy's were useable for the purposes of this test, and I didn't think that you'd enjoy visualized Draco in that manner. I always have a cauldron of my own for this test, in case no one brews a useable potion." He said.

"So everyone else…"

"Received a sample from either yours, or Mr. Malfoy's cauldron." He smirked darkly.

She realized why Draco had looked so pale. She sipped the tea and felt herself settle a little. "Thank you Sir…for not leaving me under that long."

"You did not need long for the lesson to sink in. You have a respect for the power potions can wield. Others needed somewhat longer for it to sink in." Severus said.

"I should head up to lunch." She said.

"Indeed. Come to the Headmaster's office at 7:30 this evening. You and I have an appointment at Gringotts." He told her.

"Yes Sir." She said and shouldered her bag, managing to keep her dignity as she left the room.

Severus watched her go and then opened the letter Antonin had sent her. It was short and chilling.

 _See you soon._

 _~A_

Severus tucked it away and decided that Miss Granger would regrettably need to forego any other trips to Hogsmeade village this year. Dolohov was out of Azkaban, and he knew he intended to get his hands on the young witch if he could. The Dark Lord had sanctioned it, providing it didn't interfere with any of his plans. He vanished the contents of the different cauldrons, keeping a sample from the cauldron's that had been brewed correctly and locking them away, clearly labelled. Given poor level of execution on this potion he was very tempted to assign it as this year's practical exam.

He'd been in contact with the Goblins about Miss Granger, and they had agreed to meet her administer their own version of the test. It had cost a handful of galleons to arrange, but he was happy to pay it if it assured her safety under the new regulations. He would start administering the potion to the other students next week. Albus would send letters to all the parents of the muggleborn students warning them of what was coming and how to prepare.

His feet took him up to the great hall, and he saw his Newt Potions students eating, all of them looking quite sobered by the experience. He'd started doing this his fourth year of teaching after one of his Newt students had thought it would be funny to use some Amortentia on a fellow student. He hadn't had another instance of it since. The Headmaster didn't approve but after a long discussion with the board of Governors, he had ceded to Severus' judgement. Potions were dangerous, and the risk of abuse was high. He wanted to make certain that all of his advanced students had sufficient respect for the art.

ooOoo

Hermione sat down in the office held by Speargut, the goblin in charge of dead accounts. He had a gold basin sitting on his desk, along with a silver dagger, a folded white cloth, and a piece of parchment. She had butterflies in her stomach, but as she snuck a look at her Professor sitting beside her she searched for her inner calm.

"Miss Granger, if you would cut your palm and allow twelve drops of blood to fall into the basin?" The goblin said, very businesslike.

Hermione stood and cut into her hand and counted the drops, moving her hand back once she was finished and she pressed the cloth to her palm and sat back down as the goblin waved his hand over the basin and then scooped a bit of the liquid into a vial and poured it over the parchment. The paper glowed gold, pulsing as the liquid absorbed into it.

In elegant calligraphy a name appeared on the parchment, _**'Blishwick'**_. The goblin nodded and opened a drawer and extracted a key, handing that to Hermione. It was old and tarnished. "The key to vault 843." He pulled out a large packet of parchment. "Statement of accounts, deeds to property, and an accounting of all financial interests held by the family." He also handed her a small ring box. "And the family ring. If the ring recognizes you, all deeds and accounts will transfer automatically. If not additional paperwork will be required, and fees levied."

Hermione nodded and opened the ring box. It was a heavy gold ring, a flat disc on the top had an old coat of arms etched into it. The family's motto was engraved around the band, vincit veritas…truth conquers. She took a deep breath and slipped it onto her ring finger. It seemed impossibly large, clearly a man's ring but it grew warm as it touched her skin and resized, becoming more feminine until it was snug against her skin. She looked up at the goblin who nodded.

"Congratulations Lady Granger-Blishwick." He said. "Your portfolio will be assigned to one of our account managers and they will send you correspondence by owl. You may visit your vault if you wish this evening to take an inventory." He said.

Hermione looked over to her professor who nodded slightly. "That sounds like a good idea."

"There will be a goblin waiting in the lobby to take you down. Good evening." He dismissed her, glad to have one account closed.

"Good evening." She said politely and left with her potions master. She let out a little breath as they reached the hall, the packet of parchment in hand.

"Having the magic recognize you is advantageous, it makes any claims much easier. You are also entitled to claim your empty seat in the Wizengamot." He informed her.

"I didn't realize the Blishwicks held a seat." She frowned.

"Every family that was established when the Ministry was formed was granted a seat in the Wizengamot, those established later have to apply for a seat and they process can take generations to be approved." He said as they walked back to the lobby where Griphook was waiting.

"Key please." He said. She handed over the key and they went and got into the mining cart. It hurtled down into the bowels of the tunnels until it skidded to a stop in front of a vault door. "Vault 843." He announced and got out, pressing his hand to the door which then opened.

Hermione got out of the cart and entered. It was much larger than the vault her parents had opened for her when she'd started school. There were portraits, chests stacked against the walls, some open and spilling jewels and silverware. There were bookcases filled with rare tomes, and leather bound journals. There was a large amount of galleons, sickles, and knuts…but the books and family heirlooms were far more interesting to her. "I can't believe this is actually mine." She said softly.

"I would leave most of this here until you've had a chance to see the properties and have at least one of them restored. The books are certainly safest here until you have a properly warded home to store them in." He said.

She pulled a journal from the shelves, recognizing the name as her great grandmother's. She wanted to read it, try and get to know the woman who had been the last Blishwick witch. The rest she'd leave here for now, but it was a little sobering to realize that this was all hers now. She'd always felt apart from the wizarding world, not having generations of history to fall back on. Now there was a whole history here, a legacy she'd known nothing about. She jumped a little as Severus touched her elbow.

"We should go, Miss Granger." He said gently. He remembered feeling much the same when his mother had died and he'd been inexplicably handed the Prince family accounts.

She nodded, giving him a small brave smile. "Yes, of course Professor." She said and let him guide her out of the vault and back into the cart for the return trip up to the surface. The journal was clutched tight to her chest as they made the dizzying journey upwards. She felt a little ill as she climbed out and they headed for the Gringott's complimentary floo. She took a pinch of floo powder and tossed it in. "Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts School." She said clearly and in a flash was coming out in the Headmaster's office. She moved out of the way, and Professor Snape was right behind her.

"Did everything go according to plan?" Albus asked from behind his desk.

"Yes Headmaster, the Blishwick family ring has accepted Miss Granger as its rightful owner. The bank will file the paperwork with the Ministry and there will likely be an announcement in the Prophet by the end of the week." Severus said smoothly.

"Excellent, having Miss Granger here at the school will make certain things easier next year." Albus said. "Please have a seat, there are some things we must discuss."

Hermione frowned and went to sit, giving Professor Snape a questioning look. His face gave away nothing. "What things Headmaster?"

"It is likely that under the direction of the Ministry and the Dark Lord, I will not be here next year as Headmaster." He began. "I am certain that Mr. Potter has appraised you of everything I have been sharing with him in regards to the Dark Lord and the Horcruxes that must be discovered and destroyed?"

"He has, Sir." She said.

"With me removed from the school it is likely that the Dark Lord will want to put someone he trusts in this office, someone like Professor Snape. I cannot speak to the kinds of changes that will be forced through here at Hogwarts, but I doubt they will be pleasant. While Harry will not likely be able to return, having you here offers an opportunity to co-ordinate between the Order and Severus. You will doubtlessly be questioned about the whereabouts of Mr. Potter, so distancing yourself from him publically this year would be beneficial to your health. Returning does pose significant risks to your personal safety, so I will not force you to do this, but I would ask that you consider it." Albus said.

She shivered a little and nodded. "I'll think it over carefully Headmaster, and give you my answer soon." Hermione wanted to help but the thought of being within the Dark Lord's easy reach was terrifying.

"Thank you, Miss Granger." He said. "Now if you will excuse Severus and I, we have other things to speak of." He said kindly.

"Of course." She gave him a small smiled. "Goodnight Sir." She said and left the office, stopping on the other side of the door and taking a deep breath to try and steady herself.

Inside the office Severus was sitting deeper into his chair, watching the Headmaster. "He'll insist that she's interrogated if she returns Albus. I'll either be tasked with it, or be forced to watch it." He said quietly, a small part of him screaming at the utter insanity of this.

"I know my dear boy, but we will need that link since there will be absolutely no way for you to meet with me or the Order directly. It would be far too dangerous for you to attempt it once he's solidly in power." Albus said. "She will understand the necessity of it, and I trust you'd be able to spare her from the very worst tortures."

Severus nodded quietly. "I will do what I can." He promised, drawing himself deep into his mind. He always withdrew when Albus or Tom started asking things of him that he found abhorrent. Casually discussing the torture and interrogation of a student in his care was not something he could abide.

"She will need to learn Occulmency, I trust she will be a more co-operative pupil than Harry was?" He said.

"I'm certain she will be able to learn it much more effectively. Let me know what nights you have Potter here, and I will make use of those nights for her lessons. Potter cannot know that she is working with me. His mind is an open book and the Dark Lord will read it eventually." He said.

"I will work with Harry, to at least help him keep the Dark Lord out of his thoughts." Albus promised. "I should have undertaken his tutelage myself last year, for that you have my apologies Severus."

Severus just nodded. "Hopefully he applies himself better for you." He snorted doubting that Potter was capable of applying himself to anything that did not involve a broom.

"Has Tom given any indication about his plans for the school Severus?" Albus asked.

"Beyond telling me I would be named Headmaster…no. Though I expect he will install several Death Eaters onto the staff to keep an eye on me." He said and shook his head.

"Do what you can Severus, but he cannot doubt your loyalty…not now." He said. "It will all be over soon Severus, I know this has been hardest on you."

Severus merely nodded. "It will get harder before it's at an end." He said softly, thinking about what he might need to do to Hermione, a student that trusted him. "I'll do what I can Albus…but I don't know if I'll be able to make a real difference for the students here."

"I trust you Severus, I always have." He said softly.

Severus made a harsh sound and stood, walking to the fireplace and placing a hand on the mantle. "You're one of the few." He whispered, eyes staring into the flames. Not even a few months ago he'd have said that Albus was the only one, now there was a certain wild-haired witch that might fall into that category too.

"She trusts you Severus." Albus said quietly. "Let that sooth your conscience, if someone as young and pure as that girl can see the good in you, allow yourself to acknowledge it as well."

"I can't afford to Albus, you know that." His tone was harsh. "I have to be cold, hard, and cruel. There's no room for softness in what's to come. I'm of no use to anyone if the Dark Lord kills me." He knew his role, all too well. It was bad enough that he wanted more, that he wished things could be different. Those wants could get people killed if either of his Masters ever suspected the truth. Severus' heart ached from the crushing years of isolation, and the knowledge that there was only more to come.


	6. Unintended Consequences

**A/N: Back from my little vacation. Enjoy everyone!**

 **ooOoo**

 **Blishwick Heiress Found Hiding in Plain Sight!**

 **The Ministry was abuzz this last Wednesday after a missive was received from Gringott's Dead Accounts Department. The Missive detailed that Miss Hermione Granger, undoubtedly the brightest witch in her Newt Year at Hogwarts School, had applied for a lineage test at the bank and was discovered to be the granddaughter of Emmaline Blishwick, last known living member of the family and regrettably a squib. For full details about the Blishwick Family see page 3…**

Hermione put down the paper and she could hear the murmuring in the great hall gaining volume as people started sneaking looks at her as they read the accompanying articles. Worst however were the looks she was getting from her own housemates.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ron asked, looking gobsmacked.

"I'm still trying to process it honestly. I was planning to talk to you, just not yet. I didn't know the Prophet would be running it on the bloody front page did I?" She muttered, looking very put out. She hated lying to them, but the Headmaster had insisted that it was necessary.

"How did you even know to go to the bank for this test?" Harry asked.

"Remember how I was researching Lineage potions? Professor Snape advised me to brew the standard version, and that would give me a starting point for thinking about improving it. When we poured the potion over the parchment…it was pretty surprising to see that my Grandmother was a squib. He gave me the information about applying to the bank to have it verified. He took me the other night, and they told me there was a dead account that was rightfully mine. It's been a bit crazy really." She said softly. "I just, had a lot to think about and I wasn't ready to share it."

"The Blishwicks were a dark family Hermione. They married into the Blacks, Notts, and the whole dirty lot of them." Ron said, giving her a look.

"I'm no more of a dark witch than you are Ronald Weasley." She narrowed her eyes. "I'm still a muggleborn as far as I'm concerned." She stood and gave him a withering look. She needed to distance herself from them publically. She turned on her heel and stormed out of the Great Hall.

"Is it true?" A voice stopped her just outside the Great Hall. Theodore Nott was leaning against the wall, watching her intently. His cool hazel eyes evaluating her as if she were something suddenly interesting.

"Yes, it is." Hermione said quietly. "I don't understand what the fuss is though. So my grandmother was a Squib. So what?" She lifted her chin.

"This is the first time in more than a hundred years that an extinct house has been brought back. It's big news Granger." He said. "Not to mention the Blishwicks were right up there with the Blacks and Malfoys for being richer than sin. It changes things for you, more than you can understand yet." His hazel eyes were speculative.

She sighed. "I didn't ask for any of it."

"Come on, I'm heading up to Charms too. I'll walk with you." He offered and moved to fall into step with her.

"Why are you being nice to me?" She arched an eyebrow.

"When have I ever not been at least polite?" He asked her a smirk on his lips.

Hermione went to retort and came up with nothing. Theodore tended to treat her with practiced indifference. "I guess I was always focused on Malfoy."

"Hard not to when he's being enough of a prat for all of us." He snorted. "Look, things are coming, and you could use some friends outside of Gryffindor Tower. Trust me on that." He said seriously as they walked. "Potter won't be able to protect you."

"And you could?" She said doubtfully.

"Maybe not, but I could at least give you warning before things blow up in your face, and some advice when you need it." He said.

"And in return?" She said shrewdly.

"A favour…to be repaid later." He said.

"That's a little too open ended for me." She said.

"Nothing you'd find distasteful, just a sharing of information down the road." He said holding his hands up to ward off assumptions of anything sordid.

She nodded. "That I can do."

He paused and offered her a hand. "Then it's a deal."

She took his hand and shook it firmly. Together they headed to the charms classroom, going in and just reading quietly until the others arrived.

ooOoo

"How have you been progressing through the mental exercises in the book I gave you?" Severus asked as they sat in his office with tea. Tonight Albus would be occupying Potter in his office, so he was fairly certain he'd be too busy to question where his friend was.

"I think I'm doing well. I'm up to the exercises in chapter nine now, and I haven't had any nightmares for a couple of weeks." She said, proud of that.

"Have you considered what the Headmaster asked of you?" He asked her.

She nodded. "I have…and I think I have to do it. I know I won't be safe here, but the information I'll be able to feed to Harry and Order is important. Theodore Nott has suggested that he might be able to help me a little with the coming changes." She said.

Severus looked surprised. "While Theodore's father is Death Eater, Miss Granger, Theo is very neutral. I wouldn't spurn his assistance. I will warn you that if you do return, I may be forced to inflict harm on you, to be certain that you have no knowledge of Mr. Potter's whereabouts. It's not something I would wish to do, but I may need to." He said quietly.

Hermione swallowed and nodded. "I know, I'd assumed as much." She shivered a little. "I won't lie and say it doesn't scare me, but I can take it if I have to." She whispered.

Severus nodded, not liking the uncomfortable feelings that twisted through him as he realized that she trusted him to protect her. He would try, truly, but there were so many variables that he simply could not control. "Then let's begin. Look into my eyes and I'll start testing the defences you've constructed so far." He was suddenly staring into deep, chocolate brown eyes. He focused on the little flecks of gold in her iris and was soon slipping inside. On the surface her mind felt very normal, the mind of an average teenage girl. That was the lie. She was not average. He grinned a little as he pressed deeper, swimming past a wave of superficial nonsense. Boys, hair, and make-up, things he knew meant nothing to THIS girl, things that anyone else would accept. It was clever, just like her.

His mind smashed through, violently tearing her construct apart. Underneath he saw her real mind. He slipped into a memory that felt interesting. Hermione was sitting under a tree, strong arms wrapped around her from behind, holding her against a muscular chest. Lips trailed down her throat. He watched Viktor Krum trying to seduce the younger girl. He had to admit the boy had skill.

"NO!" Hermione violently threw him out of the memory and but wasn't able to eject him completely from her mind. It was like trying to detach an octopus, if you pulled one tentacle free seven more were wrapping around something else she wanted to protect.

He dove deep into the part of her mind where her dreams lived. He felt her panic as he closed in. He pulled a dream forward a little surprised at the content. For a girl of obviously limited romantic experiences, this dream was surprisingly explicit. He could feel her mortification as he realized it was about him. He wasn't terribly surprised at it, nor worried. After ingesting Amortentia, erotic dreams were a common side effect. He imagined there was a fair bit of self-loathing going through his Newt Potions class with everyone having lurid dreams about Draco Malfoy or Hermione Granger. He finally allowed her to expel him from her mind, and he just grinned a little.

Hermione's cheeks were bright red with embarrassment. "I…"

"Do not distress yourself Miss Granger, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You were dosed with Amortentia, you'd be having those dreams about whoever had been the focus of that potion." He waved it away. "They should cease soon, if they haven't already."

Hermione let out a breath. Of course he'd attribute it to the potion. "Still…my dreams are private." She said.

"Not to me, and not to the Dark Lord. He would be ever so amused, Miss Granger, to pull that dream forward and use it to hurt you, twist it into something shameful and dark. Learning Occulmency will protect your most vulnerable memories and thoughts form his attentions, but it will never protect them all. Eventually he will find something in your head to twist and use, your only hope is to limit his choices to things you can survive." He said. "Your initial shield was excellent, but once I saw through it your defences were nonexistent. We'll build from there." He said.

He transfigured her chair into a chaise lounge and had her lay back and close her eyes. "Now, sink below your swirling shield of mindless thoughts and imagine a place filled with light. It's a soft white light, just existing behind your thoughts, a nothingness. Now imagine someone pressing on it, testing it. The harder they push, the brighter the light. It obscures anything behind it…not preventing access, just hiding the thoughts behind a rush of blinding white light. This light is impossible to extinguish, and the harder someone pushes at it the more it obscures, filling all the dark places and chasing out anything that doesn't belong." A person's shield was very personal. For hers she needed something abstract, harder to define. For Hermione tangible things would never be as strong as an idea. "Can you see the light?"

"Yes." She smiled, eyes still closed as she visualized the light.

"Practice this visualization every night before you go to bed. I'll test its effectiveness next week during our next session." Severus said and sat back in his chair as she opened her eyes and sat up slowly. He saw her massaging her temple and he got her a headache draught. "You'll gain a tolerance for this kind of magic over time, but in the beginning it's decidedly unpleasant."

"Unpleasant is one word." She said and took the headache draught. "Do you think I should come back next year?" she asked him quietly.

Severus was quiet, considering the question. "No. I think you should go into hiding with your parents." He said, voicing his first opinion. "I think that Albus will dangle you out as bait, a way for me to prove my loyalty to the Dark Lord. I think it will change you." He said quietly. "I also know that it's too late for you to get out, and regardless of what I think you'll be back here next year. I'll do what I can to protect you and the other students."

Hermione nodded quietly and wrapped her arms around herself, cold all of a sudden. "He'd really sacrifice any of us wouldn't he?"

"Albus and the Dark Lord would give anything, or anyone if they thought it would hand them the war. Never forget that." He said softly. "We're all just pieces on a chess board to them, they'll try and play you like a pawn. You'll live longer if you make yourself into a more important piece."

"Is that what you did?" She asked.

"I was never a pawn, Miss Granger." He said, the barest of smiles turning his lips up. "If you want to know the truth of it, I think we'll both need a drink." He said and stood, deciding whether or not this was a completely stupid idea. "Disillusion yourself and follow me." He said simply and swept out of his office, heading for his rooms. This was not a good idea, but she deserved to know who she was trusting her life to. He could feel her behind him as he wound through the corridors to his door and let her inside. He poured them both a drink and sat down in his favourite chair. He watched her drop the charm and take the other seat.

"How did it all start?" She asked, seeming to understand that this might be her only chance to learn everything she wanted to know.

"It started when I was born, Miss Granger." He said quietly. "I am a half-blood. My pureblood mother turned her back on her family and married a muggle, and they disowned her even though she was their only child and the last of their family. I came to Hogwarts very isolated. I only had one friend and she was a muggleborn that ended up being sorted into Gryffindor. I was in the same year as Marcus Avery and an upperclassman named Lucius Malfoy quickly identified my talents. He took me under his wing while he was at school, and kept touch after he left. My mother had taught me things to defend myself with, since she knew her status as a blood traitor would attract the wrong sort of attention. I've never been a nice person Miss Granger, and my classmates soon fell into one of two categories. Enemies or Allies." He said quietly. "I was not unlike you in school. I was smarter than most and eager to prove it…to shove it down their throats that I was far more brilliant than they'd ever be. I wanted to prove that the dirt poor, Half-blood Prince was better than any of those privileged pure-blood wankers." A harsher accent entered his voice.

"Half-Blood Prince?" She gave him a curious look.

"My mother's name was Eileen Prince." He said. "It became a nickname of mine in my last years at Hogwarts. My war with James Potter and his Marauders fueled my split with my only real friend. They'd been determined to separate me from her, and near the end of our fifth year they finally got their wish. One day, after yet another round of humiliation, I was outnumbered and in a bad situation. She saved me, but I felt humiliated that she'd seen me like that and I called her something unforgiveable. I regretted it the moment I said it, but she never forgave me. After that day I had no friends, only my allies in Slytherin House." He said sadly, staring down into the amber liquid in his glass. "I threw myself into my research, experimenting with spell craft and continuing to rework potions to make them perform better for me than for anyone else. My reputation spread beyond the school and I was introduced to new friends by Lucius Malfoy. Most of them were friends of his father's."

He paused, taking a drink. "My mother died when I was entering my seventh year, and I maintain to this day that my father killed her. Her funeral was paid for by a friend of Abraxas Malfoy's, a man people were calling 'The Dark Lord'. I was introduced to him, and the man insisted that I call him Tom. He listened to my ideas, encouraged me in a way no one ever had. He made me feel special, affirmed that I was so much greater than my peers. He took me under his wing. By the end of my Newt year…there was nothing I would not do for him. He arranged for me to sit my Potions mastery only a few months after graduation, a feat unheard of. He gave me access to books and knowledge I didn't even know existed. When I became the youngest potion master in three centuries, he told me that he was proud of me. No one had ever said that to me. Ever."

He closed his eyes. "When he asked me to take the Dark Mark and prove my loyalty to him I agreed. When he told me to kill my father and avenge my mother's death, it felt *right*. He sent me to Hogwarts to apply for the position of Potions Professor, as Horace had made it clear he was retiring. Albus hired me, despite the fact that he had to suspect what I was even then." Severus let out a breath. He'd never actually told this to anyone, it felt cathartic. "I followed Albus one night to Hogsmeade, he was interviewing an applicant for the Divination post. That was the night she made her prophecy about Harry and the Dark Lord. I only heard the beginning, and I reported it to my master. I never expected him to go after my childhood friend and her young family." The horror of that night was written on his face, giving him a haggered, haunted expression.

"Your friend was Lily Evans…Harry's mother." She whispered softly.

"I begged him to spare her, for me." He whispered, tears stinging his eyes even after all these years. "I'd never asked Tom for anything before that, but that night I begged. He promised he would try to spare her, but I knew that he wouldn't try very hard. So I went to the only other person I thought could protect her. I went to Albus. I pleaded for him to hide her, hide all of them from the Dark Lord. He asked a very heavy price in return. I would be his creature forever, his spy. I promised that I would do anything, if he would protect Lily and her child." He shook his head. "In the end, neither of them kept their word and I was the one that found them. We all felt when the Dark Lord disappeared, and I was one of the few who knew where he had gone that night. I found James Potter dead on the stairs. I could hear a baby screaming in the nursery. I walked in and found her lying there in front of the crib. Albus found me holding her, the house all but destroyed by my magic. Only the nursery had been spared in my grief. Every day since I have given my life to try and protect her son…to try and atone for what I did." He said quietly. "Potter has no idea, of course." He said wryly. "And I'd appreciate it if you did not tell him."

Hermione had tears in her eyes. "He thinks you hate him…"

"I hated his father, and he resembles James enough that it's easy to pretend. Albus was adamant that I never reveal my friendship with Harry's mother to him. It's easier to paint me as the enemy when there are no redeeming qualities about me." He snorted.

Hermione wiped a few tears away. "If you had no redeeming qualities, you would never have helped me…never cared to notice."

"Albus believes you remind me of Lily, he'd be far more distressed by the truth." Severus said quietly.

"And what is the truth?" Hermione asked.

"You remind me of myself…and it frightens me how easily you could end up here too. Brilliant minds are always at risk, and the dark is seductive Miss Granger. It lures you in, whispering to you like a lover. By the time you realize the truth, it has you and there's no way out. You've placed yourself in the path of dark wizards Miss Granger, you'll either die by their hands…or become them." He whispered.

She shook her head. "I won't." Conviction rang through her tone.

"I wish you luck in that." He said simply.

ooOoo

Severus had been summoned again, and the timing was suspect in his mind. He swept through the gates of Malfoy Manor, dark eyes taking in the others as they filled the room. He could see Yaxley's body lying on the floor at the Dark Lord's feet. The man twitched in the aftereffects of the Cruciatus curse and Severus sank deeper into himself, not letting the sight effect him at all.

"Ah Severus…come and walk with me." The Dark Lord stepped over Yaxley's body as though he were not even there. "I have things to discuss with you in private."

Severus followed him, ignoring the glares and sneers of the other Death Eaters. He was long used to the looks, well aware that most of them considered him the lowest scum of the earth. A filthy half-breed. It rankled that he was still, after all this time, one of the Dark Lord's most favoured. "Of course, my Lord." He said silkily as they went out of the house and out into the Malfoy gardens.

"What news from Hogwarts Severus?" He asked.

"Plans are being considered for the removal of Potter from his family's residence this summer, but nothing has been yet finalized. Albus has been most secretive of late, spending days at a time locked into his office." He said quietly. "I fear he knows that you are gaining in strength and is preparing for what may come if the Ministry falls."

The Dark Lord snorted. "Or he's finally losing his mind." He said. "Tell me of this student of yours, the mudblood that isn't quite a mudblood now." He said, his tone quite…neutral.

Severus swallowed. "She is one of Potter's friends. A Gryffindor that likely should have been sorted to Ravenclaw. She is easily the most talented witch in her year, and I'd wager the most talented student overall." Severus said. "I would not openly admit that, given her heritage, but I know you prefer honesty from me." Mentally he began swearing, this had not been meant to DRAW his attention. He'd only wanted to buy her some form of safety, not mire her deeper in this filth.

"You and your obsession with mudblood witches Severus…" The Dark Lord sounded almost amused. "At least this one has been proved to be of noble, if muddied descent."

Severus quirked his lips in a show of humour that he did not feel. "I believe neither of us should be too picky about descent, my Lord." He said, mentally prepared to be crucio'ed for that comment.

Voldemort threw his head back and laughed. "Oh Severus…the others always question why I tolerate you. None of them would ever have the nerve to say that to my face. That acid tongue of yours will get you into trouble one day." He said and the laughter drained off his face, like water draining from a bowl. "You always speak the truth to me, even when you know it will bring you harm. The others quibble and dance around unpleasant realities, hoping to distract me. You never do. My most serious, and loyal Severus."

"I know what you require of me, my Lord. In all things." Severus said quietly.

"I require your memories of this girl…show her to me Severus." He commanded him.

Severus looked into his Master's eyes and summoned the memories of her in his class, of her brewing the lineage potion alongside him. They were very neutral memories, nothing to sway him one way or another. He could feel his master's mind searching for more, starting to dig, so he reluctantly brought up the memory of him giving her Amortentia. He let him pull out all the motivations he'd had in giving her his potion, rather than Draco's.

"Tsk tsk Severus." Voldemort chided him, lingering over the half-second of dishonourable intentions in the wash of memory. "You wanted her to dream of you, rather than Draco."

Severus swallowed, relieved when he withdrew from his mind without searching any deeper. "I am yet a man my Lord." He whispered. "It was innocent enough."

"Do you dream of her Severus?" He pressed.

"She's my student." His voice was carefully neutral. "I would never allow myself such a liberty."

"Such control." Voldemort circled him. "I've always admired that in you. Petty desires and whims simply are not permitted to rule you. Control in everything."

"I try, my Lord." He said, not trusting his master's mood.

"Antonin has asked that she be granted to him…so that he might finish what he started that night in the Department of Mysteries. He takes her survival as a personal affront. Until now I've have no reason to deny him. Do I have a reason now, Severus?" He asked, coming to stand in front of his spy. "Would she be a reward you would accept? My apology for Lily." His hand reached out, caressing Severus' face.

Severus closed his eyes. He understood exactly what he was being offered, and what refusing would mean both for himself and the young witch. "If she were to be truly mine…it would be a greater reward than I could desire, my Lord." He dropped down to his knee, bowing his head. He didn't trust himself to meet Tom's eyes.

"Then she shall be yours. Turn her on Albus and the Order, twist her to our cause. You know I prize talent above all things." He stroked Severus' hair. "It is why there is no one higher in my esteem than you. None of the others will touch her, you have my word. Should they dare, they will be yours to punish unto death." He crooned.

"My Lord is ever generous." He said, mentally crying for what he now had to do.

"I reward my loyal servants. You will of course need to be discreet. My new Headmaster cannot be seen to be carrying on with one of his students. A suitable time after she graduates she will make you a fitting bride." He commanded. "I will not call you for some time as we make preparations to topple the Ministry. Return to the school, and tell Albus that the Death Eaters have marked the girl for death…let yourself have a reason to be in her company more often." He grinned darkly. "You may go Severus."

He stood and bowed. "My Lord." He said softly, turning to leave. Bile burned at the back of his throat as he lifted his head high, his mask settling seamlessly into place. He disapparated the moment he was outside the gates of the Manor. He leaned against a tree, taking a moment to try and settle his mind before he had to face her. Elements above and below, what had he done?

He straightened and crossed the ward line, mounting the steps to the cabin and taking a moment to watch the lone occupant through the window. She was sitting at the table, a bunch of papers laid out in front of her. The fingers of her right hand drummed against the table as she read through something. He turned the handle and went inside, crossing to the shelf and grabbing a potion to help settle his stomach.

"You weren't gone long tonight." She said, and poured him some tea. "Are you ok?" She saw that he looked pale.

"I am well Miss Granger, thank you." He said and sat down, accepting the tea. "Anything interesting?" He asked, nodding to the papers.

"I have three properties, god knows the state of them after almost a century empty though." She laid the deeds out. "Bilberton Hall in Kent, a house in London, and house in Bath." She said.

Severus had a look at the paperwork, something normal to chase away the vile thoughts in his head. "Bilberton Hall would be the Blishwick family home, and likely the one best set with wards. After decades of neglect you will most likely need to have them professionally restored. Might I suggest contacting Bill Weasley, he would know the right people."

She smiled and nodded. "I should make arrangements to go and view them. Do you think I could get permission to go next Hogsmeade weekend?" She asked.

"Permission…no, but I could arrange to take you over the course of a few evenings. I can tell Albus it's some small errands for the Dark Lord and I will require your assistance." He said.

She looked surprised but smiled, nodding. "Thank you Professor."

"You are welcome Miss Granger. We'll start with the house in Bath. The ultimate aim will be to find a property that can be repaired and outfitted for you in short order. You should have a safe haven you can retreat to if needed." He said seriously, half tempted to find one so he could lock her away there until the end of the war and simply tell Tom that she had vanished.

She nodded. "Do you need to go and report to the Headmaster?" She asked him.

"No, there's nothing new. He simply required an audience for a punishment." He said quietly, thinking it was not a complete lie. This was a kind of punishment and his Dark Master knew it. He lauded it as a reward, but like all things it was equal parts pain and pleasure. He knew that the one thing Severus prided himself on was his own moral code, and he was ordering him to not just break it but light it on fire and toast marshmallows over the flame. This was not something he was ready to tell Albus.

She nodded quietly. "I should head back then, Harry's been noticing I'm out a lot at night and he's bound to start asking questions." She sighed, honestly more worried that he'd start using the Marauder's Map to spy on her.

"If pressed simply say that the Headmaster has asked you to assist me on the nights the Dark Lord summons me, sound put out if you must." He chuckled. "It's not a lie, but you don't need to tell him that you're part of the Order. I am certain he would resent it."

She nodded. "You have no idea." She whispered and started putting her papers away. She stopped when he placed a hand on her forearm.

"It's never easy to lie to your friends, but there may come a time when your life will depend on those lies." He said softly. "I'm sorry the Headmaster has put you in this position Miss Granger, it was not what I intended when I suggested he induct you into the Order."

She nodded. "I can think of worse things Professor." She gave him a small smile.

Severus removed his hand and cleared his throat. "We should return to the castle." He said quietly and stood. "I have marking to do and you should spend some time with your friends." He needed some distance from her to think.


	7. Feeding the Wards

A/N: Slightly shorter chapter this week. Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians, hope you all had a good time celebrating the big 150th bash.

ooOoo

Severus slipped into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom on silent feet. The 6th year students were far too intent on the lessons to notice him. Auror Collins was teaching this week and was doing practical duels to assess the student's skills before going into advanced combat techniques. He watched as the Auror surveyed the students and considered who he was pulling next.

"Mr. Malfoy, let's have you and Miss Granger." He chose, pulling them up to the warded dueling space. "Now please remember the rules, I do not want a repeat of Mr. Goyle and Mr. Boot's duel." He gave them both a hard look.

"Of course Professor." Hermione said and stood her position at one end, across from Malfoy.

"Yes Sir…nothing that can't be reversed or healed by a basic spell." Draco repeated the rules and moved to the opposite end, raising his wand at the ready.

Severus leaned against the wall, keeping to the shadowed entrance to observe. He'd never actually seen the girl in a duel and imagined this would be if nothing else informative. He heard the Auror give the signal to start and he watch Draco send a stunner at the girl who blocked it easily and returned with an impedimentia. There was a volley of return fire until he saw Draco send a cutting hex, it opened a cut on Hermione's cheek. He saw the girl narrow her eyes and he wondered if Draco knew he was in for it. She cast three spells in quick succession: Silencio, Riktusempra, and then as he was slightly off balance an Expelliarmus to finish, plucking his wand out of the air.

"Excellent work Miss Granger, as promised 10 points to Gryffindor." The Auror applauded.

Draco picked himself up, frowning but accepting his wand back from the girl.

"Auror Collins…I hate to interrupt but the Headmaster requires Miss Granger's presence." Severus said smoothly as he strode into the room.

"Of course, I think I can excuse her for the remainder of the class after that demonstration." The man nodded.

"Indeed." Severus said.

Hermione grabbed her book bag and flashed Harry a smile, not even noticing the blood dripping down her cheek. "I'll see you guys back in the Common Room?" She said.

"Sure." Harry said, impressed by the duel.

She left the class with Professor Snape as the Auror pulled up another pair. She frowned as they went out into the hall and Snape grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "Sir?"

"You are bleeding Miss Granger." Severus said and lightly touched around the cut to judge its depth. "He could have hit your eye." He muttered and pulled a bottle of dittany out of his robes and wetted a handkerchief with it, wiping the blood away and applying the Dittany to the slender laceration.

She sucked in a breath as it stung horribly but didn't pull her face out of his hands.

"There. That was a very inventive duel Miss Granger." Severus released her and continued walking, not towards the Headmaster's Office but down towards the dungeons.

"Sir…I thought the Headmaster wanted to speak to me?" She frowned.

"A ruse Miss Granger." He said indulgently. "I believe you asked for my assistance in viewing your new properties?" He raised an eyebrow. "I have the remainder of the day free, and it is convenient to go now. I informed the headmaster I'd be requiring your assistance today, and if Mr. Potter goes to enquire after you, he will be told you had a family emergency and I am escorting you to see your parents." He explained and continued on.

Hermione relaxed a bit. It had been more than a week since his last summoning by the Dark Lord and she'd been spending more time with Harry and Ron, trying to keep them from getting too suspicious about her late night activities. They made their way to the statue, and through the passage beyond it. She followed him into the cabin and she saw that he had laid out some muggle clothing for her.

"We will be apparating to a point in Bath that I am familiar with, and we will hire a cab from there." He said. "Get changed and meet me outside." He said, leaving her in privacy to get dressed.

While he waited, Severus transfigured his own robes into some casual clothing. He was wearing black dress slacks, and a grey cardigan under a worn leather jacket. He would look dressed up enough to be in the better neighbourhoods, but not extravagantly enough as to draw attention. He'd chosen jeans, a long sleeved shirt, and a black peacoat for Miss Granger. It was still cool and on the coast the weather would be questionable this time of year.

She came out, having tucked her book bag away inside the cabin. She paused a moment at the sight of her Professor in decidedly Muggle clothing and was surprised that it actually made him appear less…severe.

"That will do." Severus said and moved them across the ward line. "Take my arm and hold on." He said and focused on the apparition point that he and many others used when visiting the ancient city in Somerset. They popped through to a secluded alley, behind a little wizarding pub. He steadied his student a little as she wobbled a bit. "Alright Miss Granger?" He asked.

"Yes Sir." She said and straightened, letting go of his arm with a bit of a blush as she realized she was still holding on.

He opened a wooden gate and motioned her through, closing it behind them. They were out on one of the main streets in Bath and he hailed them a taxi. "8 Bathhampton Lane." Severus said to the driver as they settled into the backseat.

"Yes sir." The cabbie said and headed them off. He prattled on about football and the weather and Severus replied enough to pass the time as they left the city proper and headed out towards the more luxuriant estates that lay outside the city. They came to a stop outside an imposing ten foot stone wall with a heavy wrought iron gate set into it. Severus paid the man and thanked him, getting out and walking towards the gate with his student.

Hermione frowned at the lock and looked at Professor Snape. "I don't have a key…"

"Place you hand on the gate and think about it opening." Severus said quietly as the taxi pulled away.

Hermione lifted her hand and placed it on the rusted iron and at her merest thought they swung open soundlessly. She stepped through, followed closely by her Professor. There was a great circular drive, in front of a large, Georgian styled estate house. The yard was overgrown but the house seemed to be just frozen in time. There was no dust on the windows and other than the rust on the gate, there seemed no other indication that this house had stood empty since the 1920's. "Professor?" She looked at him.

"It's possible that your ancestors placed the estates in a kind of…suspended time spell, to prevent wear and decay until an heir could be found." Severus said as they walked up towards the door. "It means they had hope that while their daughter was a squib, that perhaps one of her children or grandchildren might inherit their magic." He gave her a small smile.

She returned it and reached out to open the front door. It literally looked as though the owners had stepped out one day and just never come home, like it was waiting for her. The entryway was large, an expanse of gleaming black marble tile filled the space. There was a large fireplace, and the portrait of a severe looking man hung over it.

"Who is this then? Come forward child and make yourself known." The man narrowed his eyes at the girl, seemingly sure that SHE was the new Mistress of this house.

"My name is Hermione Granger Sir…I'm Emmaline Blishwick's granddaughter." She explained.

"I am Ignatious Blishwick…and I built this house." He answered gruffly. "You're a witch then are you? Good to know. Good blood will out eventually. I always told Jim marrying into the Blacks was a mistake. Shallow gene pool that, all those miscarriages and then one squib girl…such a disappointment. I trust you'll do better."

Hermione nodded. "I certainly hope to, Sir." She said respectfully, a bit shocked by his bluntness.

"And who is this? Your husband?" He gave the man behind his descendant a hard look.

Hermione blushed. "No…he's my Potions Professor at Hogwarts. He discovered my hidden lineage and has been assisting me in handling my inheritance." She explained.

"Well then…I suppose that's proper enough." The man huffed.

"Come Miss Granger, we should inspect the property." Severus said, eager to be away from the pushy portrait.

"Of course Professor." She said and joined him. They explored the ground floor finding several formal rooms, a drawing room, sitting room, dining room, study, and a games room. The kitchens were large, and on the second floor there were six expansive bedrooms, a small reading room, bathrooms and another study. The property was impressive in its size and she found herself quite enamoured of the almost Victorian décor. As their exploration took them downstairs into what ended up being a massive wine cellar, a little pop was heard and a house elf appeared.

"Mistress?" He moved forward, looking at her questioningly.

"I am your new Mistress, my name is Hermione. What's your name?" She asked with a smile. She had her issues with House Elves, but she had learned the hard way that many of them honestly loved serving their families.

"Mugs Mistress...Mugs is glad to have a Mistress again…" His large eyes welled up with tears. "Master Jim put us all to sleep…promising when we woke we'd have a new Master or Mistress to serve. Mugs didn't think we would ever wakes up again."

"Please don't cry." She said gently alarmed as he bawled even harder.

"Enough of that nonsense…you are disturbing your Mistress." Severus said in a firm tone that would have sent most first year students running.

Mugs stopped his blubbering and nodded. "Forgive me Mistress. How can Mugs serve you?"

"Your Mistress needs to know where the ward stone is." Severus said.

"Just follow Mugs…right this way." The little creature toddled off through the racks of wine, through a door to what looked like it could have been a potions lab at one time. Against the far wall the Elf pointed to a stone that looked just a little larger of than the others in the much more uniform wall. "This is the wardstone for Bathhampton House." He said.

Severus nodded. "Do you have supplies to make tea?" He asked.

"Yes Sir…everything was placed under stasis charms…food, elves and all the manors." He nodded.

"Then tea for two please Mugs." Hermione said, dismissing the Elf. She looked at her Professor with wide eyes.

"You must be firm with the creatures, else they can get extremely unruly." Severus said, and held up a hand to forestall her objections. "I did not say cruel…they are powerful magical creatures and deserve respect, but firm." He said.

She nodded. "I thought you said I'd need to have the wards restored." She said looking at the funny shaped stone.

"If they had been left to falter and fade, then yes. However it appears your great-grandfather had faith that one day an heir would return and took pains to safe guard your future Miss Granger." He said quietly. "You should only need to feed the wards to wake them, and restore them to strength."

"Feed?" She looked dubious.

"Old wards on family properties are based in blood magic. Even Hogwarts is protected by the blood of every Professor, and every Headmaster that has ever taught there. We all contribute to the refreshing of the wards each year at Midsummer. A bit of blood and sharing of power is all that is required. These wards have been…asleep for lack of a better term. The blood and power shared may be more intense." He said.

Hermione nodded. "What do I have to do?" She asked.

He pulled a blade out of his pocket. "Cut your palm and place it against the stone and do not remove it until I tell you. It may be…overwhelming, but I will be here to help you." He said.

Hermione took the blade and cut into her palm, wincing as she did it. She pressed her bloody hand to the stone and nearly jumped back as a rush of electric power shot up her arm. Only Professor Snape's body behind her kept her from moving. He covered her hand with his own and kept it against the stone. The power built and she cried out, feeling her knees buckle under the intensity. Her Professor's arm wrapped around her waist and kept her standing as she was trapped in the ebb and flow of the wards.

Severus held her, able to feel the residual power seeping off her. He knew she'd be trapped in an exquisite place, nerves stimulated so greatly that it was impossible to say whether it was pain or pleasure. You both craved its end and prayed it never stopped. For a brief moment, with her head pressed back against his shoulder and her breath coming in gasps, he could think about what the Dark Lord had ordered him to do. It would end far too soon but for a moment he indulged the idea. He had no choice but to indulge it, not if he wanted to protect her from Antonin. He shivered as some of the excess power jumped from her skin into him. The wards took, but they also gave…both taking her magic and feeding the magic of the house back into her, binding their power to her blood and will. He knew the instant the wards were satisfied as the tension left her and she sagged in his arms. He let her hand fall and realized that she had fainted.

He scooped her up easily and carried her back upstairs to the sitting room. He laid her down on the settee, and brushed the wild curls off her face. "Miss Granger?" he said softly, trying to bring her back.

"Professor?" She whispered, eyelashes fluttering as she came back.

"I'm right here…you did well." He said and moved back, sitting in a chair across from her as her elf made tea appear on the low table between them. "Have some tea, it will help ground you." He told her.

"I feel like I'm not entirely in my skin." She said and sat up slowly.

"It will pass in a few hours. It's why I would not suggest trying to visit the properties all in one day, you could exhaust your magic very easily." He said and handed her a cup of tea, made the way he knew she preferred.

"Thank you." She took the cup and sipped it slowly. The sweet liquid did help bring her back. "So…are there lots of properties around the wizarding world like this? Sitting empty and just waiting for someone to claim them?"

"Not a vast number, but there are likely small vaults and properties sitting unclaimed and hidden under heavy muggle-repelling charms." Severus said. "Claims like yours are very rare…which is why you are garnering interest from those who pay attention."

"Who else has been paying attention?" She asked.

Severus took a breath and decided to share part of what the Dark Lord had said. "The Dark Lord has asked me if I believe you could be turned against the Order." He said quietly.

She looked stunned. "But I'm muggleborn…"

"Talent has always been more important to him than blood, and with this revelation that you are a few generations removed from an ancient and noble house…it makes you more palatable." He said quietly. "I never intended for you to catch his eye Miss Granger, you have my honest apology for that."

"You were trying to keep me safe." She said softly. "What did you tell him?"

"What he wanted to hear…that it was possible." Severus said. "He's ordered me to work on turning you into an asset, and in return he has promised to keep Dolohov away from you. It's not ideal but it would protect you from the attentions of the Death Eaters."

"Have you told the Headmaster?" She asked.

"Not yet, but I have to." He sighed. "The prospect of having two spies instead of just one will be far too appealing for him to object. He will encourage it."

Hermione nodded quietly. "If you fail he'll punish you…and send the Death Eaters back after me, won't he?"

Severus nodded.

"Then there's no choice." Hermione said quietly, looking down into her tea cup. "It lines up with the plan of me returning next year to relay information between you and the Order." She said softly.

"It does, it just adds a dimension of danger for you…as he will likely insist on meeting you at least once before next year." Severus said. "So we will be focusing on your Occlumency, and I want you to start learning as much as you can about the laws concerning holders of family rings. There are many special exemptions in our bylaws for a witch or wizard that holds a family ring, given what is about to happen you need to learn them all."

She nodded. "Ok." Hermione felt a wave of fear hit her at the thought of having to meet him.

"I will be here to help you Miss Granger…I give you my word." He said.

"That means a lot to me Professor." She said softly. He had survived being between the two sides for a long time, if anyone could help her learn to play the role effectively it would be him.

Severus was about to say more when a silvery patronus stalked into the room, a ghostly wolf. The voice that came from it was Remus Lupin's.

"Order meeting at Headquarters, you are both required. In one hour." It said before dissipating.

Severus mentally grumbled. "Thank goodness we were not in the middle of anything delicate." He muttered.

Hermione chuckled a little. "Why are we keeping this secret?" She asked.

"Albus was supportive of proving your wizarding heritage as a means to keep you safe. He would not approve of you openly embracing it. He'd see it as a rejection of your muggle family and upbringing. He gets…testy about these things." Severus said. "I should also tell you that I moved your family earlier than planned. I didn't want to risk Dolohov getting ambitious. They're safe and settling into the house well."

"What if someone notices they've gone missing?" She asked.

"Then you know nothing. We are the only ones that can have knowledge of this Miss Granger." He said quietly. "I trust you to keep this to yourself, and I hope that you trust me to do the same. I cannot speak for the others in the Order." He said quietly. Ultimately it was her family, but it was his neck on the line. He'd have a very hard time trying to explain to the Dark Lord why he had smuggled her muggle family out of Britain. The fewer people aware of it, the easier it was to protect the information.

Hermione nodded quietly. "All right." She said softly, understanding. "I hate that I can't trust anyone…" She whispered.

Severus nodded quietly. "I'm sorry you've had to learn that truth so soon." It was a sad thing to watch her innocence chipping away every time they spoke. He hated being the cause of it.

"I don't think any of us have a choice in that now. I'd rather face hard truths and live, than hear pretty lies before I die." She whispered, looking into her Professor's eyes.

"You are an unusual young woman." He said quite unsure how to take her at times. He could see that she meant every word of it.

Hermione blushed a bit and dropped her eyes. "What do you think the meeting is about?"

"I don't know." He said, finding the blush intriguing. "Likely nothing good." He finished his tea and set it down. "Finish your tea. I'll show you how to adjust the wards on the property to keep the unwelcome out and then we should get going to London." He said.

Hermione nodded and set her tea down. "I still feel strange." It was hard to define the sensation. It was like a hyper awareness of touch, every shift of her clothing against her skin made a shiver go down her spine.

"It should pass in a few hours, as I said." He stood and went around the table, offering her a hand up. "You'll simply need to try and conceal it."

Hermione sucked in a breath as she took his hand and stood. That was easy enough for him to say. She took a deeper, slower breath and tried to ignore the play of his magic against her skin. "Why can I feel your magic?"

"Because I was touching you when you were feeding the wards. It creates a temporary awareness between us." He said gently, leading back down to the room where the ward stone was. "With your uninjured hand touch the stone and focus on the wards."

Hermione nodded and did as he asked, closing her eyes and able to see the house and grounds, surrounded by swirling white light. "I can see them."

"Now think about making it closed to all except us, push your will into the wards." He talked her through it.

Hermione focused and she could feel the wards changing, the light changing into a swirl of silver and gold, wrapping around the two of them…identifying their magic. "I think I have it." She could *feel* that they understood, as if they were sentient.

"Good, you can remove your hand." He said, placing a hand on her waist to steady her as she moved back from the wall.

"I think I'll definitely need a break before I try this again." She said, leaning against her Professor. She'd never been pushed to the limit of her magic before but she felt as if she was close. There was a weariness in her body, like she'd just run a hundred miles.

"At least a week." He said and allowed the contact. Normally he wouldn't allow a student to be this close…but given his real orders by the Dark Lord, he needed to get used to it. He needed to learn to allow himself that.

Hermione let herself accept his comfort for a long few minutes before reluctantly drawing back. "Sorry about that Professor." She said softly.

"Given the proximity we'll be working in…it would not be inappropriate for you to call me Severus, in private." He said carefully.

She smiled softly. "Only if you'll call me Hermione, in return." She said, aware that her very proper Potions Master did not allow many people such familiarity.

He nodded. "That would be acceptable, Hermione." Severus said, getting used to the feel of the name off his tongue. He offered her his arm. "We should go. I imagine Molly will be in attendance for the meeting and she'll likely want to fuss over you a bit."

"Thank you…for all of this, Severus." She said softly, slipping her arm into his. It felt natural walking with him like this.

He merely nodded. "You are quite welcome." He said in kind, leading her back upstairs and out the front door. "I'll apparate us, just hold on." He said, knowing she needed to conserve her magic for the next day or so.


	8. Unexpected Twists

**A/N: Sorry for the lull, I had some stuff to do around the farm and finally some nice weather to do it in.**

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.

Hermione tightened her grip slightly as he transported them to a hidden spot just up the road from number 12 Grimmauld Place. It was already growing dark and they walked together, arm in arm, up the street towards the imposing home. To an onlooker they were simply a young couple, out for an evening stroll. They crossed the street and Severus opened the door, stepping through and holding it for her. She gave him a smile as he closed it behind him. As ever, they kept very quiet to avoid drawing the attention of Sirius' mother on the wall. She really wished he'd do something about that Harpy.

They walked quietly to the kitchen, removing their jackets as they walked.

"Hermione dear, come and sit down…I'll get you a cup of tea. Professor Snape, would you care for some as well?" Molly asked, taking immediate charge of them. "You're some of the first to arrive." She said.

"Tea would be lovely Molly." Severus said and took his usual seat at the end of the table…surprised when Hermione chose to sit beside him.

"What's all this I've been reading in the papers about you being a Blishwick?" Molly asked, bring over a plate of scones.

"Apparently my grandmother was a squib." She said softly. "It's been a lot to take in."

"Not just apparently." Sirius said as he came into the room with Remus close behind him. "The ring on your finger clears up the matter rather definitively." He smiled. "How are you? Well I hope?" He was rather fond of the young witch he found himself owing a life-debt to. A little part of him hoped that she and Harry would make a go of it one day.

"Very well, thank you Sirius. Congratulations on your trial." She said with a smile. "I meant to write, but things have been so busy."

"Thank you, it's good to be a free man again." He sat down. "Snape."

"Black." Severus responded just as coolly. He did not like the man's familiar manner with Hermione, but then he'd always been like that. He'd always treated women like possessions, or amusements. If the man ever laid a finger on his witch he would end him, once and for all.

"Hello Professor Lupin." Hermione said to Remus, hoping to diffuse the tension that suddenly seemed to exist in the room.

"It's just Remus now, Miss Granger. I'm no longer your Professor." He said simply and sat down. "Severus, I'm sorry for the intrusion, but Albus was adamant you be summoned." He looked weary.

"He's simply lucky we were not in a delicate situation. We very nearly were." Severus said evenly, it was not the first time the Order had interrupted his work. One day it was going to get him killed.

Remus nodded. "Again, you have my apologies."

Severus merely nodded, and said a polite thank you to Molly as she served up tea.

"It's good to see you as part of the Order, hopefully Harry and Ron will be joining you soon." Sirius said, giving Hermione a dashing smile.

"They're all too young, it's not the sort of business for a young witch to be involved in either." Molly clucked disapprovingly.

"Unfortunately the Dark Lord's followers involved her. Better she be forearmed in this fight, as they marked her as a target Molly." Severus said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Molly frowned.

"Dolohov had been sending me cursed letters, and Sev…Professor Snape learned that he'd been granted permission to come after me once they escape Azkaban." She said softly. "The Professor felt I deserved to be more involved since I was of age and had a vested interest so to speak."

Remus' eyes narrowed at the small slip. "What kind of curse?"

"It was a compulsion curse." Severus said. "A particularly nasty one. The letters themselves were disturbing, and the curse amplified their effect on Miss Granger to the point where she was having sleep disturbances and not eating." He watched the girl just stare deeply into her tea cup while he spoke. He knew it still bothered her, it was plain to him.

Remus nodded quietly, understanding just how terrible a curse like that could become. He also suspected there was more to the story, but it was not his secret to pry into. "I'm glad you caught it Severus."

"As am I." He agreed, the mood in the room growing quite somber.

Hermione merely sat quietly as others started arriving, Mad-Eye, a young Auror with electric blue hair named Tonks, and Kingsley. Albus was the last to arrive and a hooded figure was following him in. Hermione sat up, something about the posture and bearing of the man familiar to her.

"Thank you all for coming with such lack of notice. Firstly, I am here to share some news. One of the Dark Lord's inner Circle contacted me some time ago, about a possible switching of allegiance. I have discussed terms, and we finally reached an agreement. I trust most of you know him already." The Headmaster nodded to the figure beside him.

The hooded figure pushed back his cowl and stood there, looking arrogant and completely unashamed. Lucius Malfoy nodded to Severus, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "Many years ago, before the end of the first war, the Dark Lord asked my father to safe guard certain objects. After his death, the guardianship of those items fell to me. After the incident with the Diary, I began to suspect that these items were somewhat less innocuous than I had been led to believe." He explained. "After casting some diagnostic spells, I discovered two more items in my vault that were suspect. I have given these items to Dumbledore. My family and I will be leaving Britain tonight."

"Turning tail and running…" Moody snorted.

"I have a wife and son to protect Moody." Lucius said, a feral smile on his lips. "They have always been my priority."

"That is enough Alastor." Albus said smoothly. "Please have a seat." He said to Lucius who chose to lean elegantly against the back wall nearest Severus. "Now, these objects are essential to defeating Tom once and for all, and retrieving them from a vault would be next to impossible. Lord Malfoy and his family are now considered friends of the Order." He said firmly. "The Dark Lord has managed to return through the use of a particularly vile piece of magic, called a Horcrux." He said. "A Horcrux is an object in which a wizard has hidden a piece of his soul. In history there were only ever instances of this being done once. Tom has made several, which would account for his altered appearance and frankly his mental instability since his return."

"So unless we destroy all of these Horcurxes…we can't actually kill him." Hermione said, the true horror of it hitting her.

"That is correct Miss Granger. Several have now been located, and destroyed. However the exact number remaining is questionable. I have my suspicions but at the moment that is all they are." Albus said. "Once the Ministry falls, the primary focus of the Order will be locating and destroying the Horcruxes."

Hermione shuddered as he continued to talk about the disappearances that had been occurring with greater frequency. She mostly tuned it out, still trying to deal with the aftereffects of feeding the wards at Bathhampton House. She nearly jumped when Severus touched her hand, bringing her back to herself. She realized that Albus was finishing his long-winded talk.

"Now, if you'd all give me the room, I need to speak to Severus for a moment alone." Albus said loftily and everyone stood.

Hermione gave Severus a look and he just inclined his head, reassuring her that he would be fine. Hermione was the last one out the door and she could almost feel the privacy spell fall behind them. She headed towards the sitting room where she could hear the others, when Lucius Malfoy stepped from the shadows in front of her, blocking the hallway.

"Excuse me." She said politely, going to pass him, but he didn't move.

"I suppose congratulations are in order…Lady Blishwick." Lucius said, grey eyes intent on her.

"I'm still a Granger." She said, jaw tightening.

"For the moment." Lucius said. "I do hope you enjoyed your letters…." He said silkily.

Hermione's eyes narrowed and before she even knew what she was doing she punched him, HARD. "You bastard." She hissed at him.

Lucius let the blow rock him, raising a hand to his now bloody lip. "I can see why Severus is so fond of you." He smirked, rubbing the blood between his fingers. She had quite the temper.

"Get out of my way." She said quietly, eyes narrowed.

"Of course…my Lady." He gave a bit of a mocking bow and moved out of her way as she escaped to join the others.

ooOoo

Severus looked at Albus impassively, unsure of what the man wanted…or worse what he knew. Having Lucius appear tonight had been an unwelcome surprise. It made him mentally scramble wondering what his friend knew, and what he'd shared with the Headmaster. Damn it but he hated unknowns.

"Lucius shared some disturbing knowledge with me tonight, and I was wondering the truth of it." Albus finally said, observing Severus over the rims of his half-moon spectacles.

"What knowledge?" Severus said, appearing bored.

"He claims that Tom has told them that Miss Granger is off limits, and that if anyone touches her their lives will be forfeit…to you." Albus said. "Why would he say such a thing Severus?"

Severus' jaw tightened, and he mentally cursed his friend. "Because he offered her to me, as a reward for my 'services'. He believes she can replace Lily." He said simply. "I didn't reject the 'gift' simply because it affords her protection that she will have need of next year."

Albus' blue eyes searched Severus' dark ones for a long time, feeling there was more to it. "Is that the only reason?"

"It is the only reason I will allow, Albus. She is my student. Anything else does not exist, cannot exist." Severus said quietly. "There are many things I will do Albus, but there are some lines I will not cross. Not for anyone." He said quietly, clinging hard to his own moral code even as it was pulled out of his grasp.

"You are perfectly aware that providing both parties are of age, there is no prohibition on relationships between staff and students. Godric's own wife started as one of his students if you recall." Albus said softly. "You're an honourable man Severus, I have every confidence you will do the right thing. Why did you not tell me what he had ordered?"

"Because I was ashamed." He snapped. "All our efforts to protect her are just dragging her deeper in. I don't know how to stop it." He whispered. It was a frightening thing to admit that he was afraid for the girl, knowing just how deep the water was and worse what was lurking beneath.

"Then stop trying. Fate has a way of working her will, and the harder you fight the faster it comes to pass." Albus said and touched Severus' shoulder. "What will be, will be my boy. No matter what comes, you will do the right thing. In the end you always have."

Severus closed his eyes and nodded.

"Besides, having Miss Granger working on both sides would offer even more opportunities for intelligence as well." He added.

Severus just nodded. "I should return Miss Granger to the school." He said and straightened, pulling away. The moment of comfort lost in the cold reality that it was just Albus giving him permission to do as the Dark Lord had demanded, because it would benefit the Order. It disgusted him. Miss Granger was not some favour to be handed out.

"Yes, of course." Albus said and let him draw away.

Severus cancelled the privacy spell and went out into the hall and saw Lucius there, his lip swollen and a little bloody. He drew his wand and backed his friend into an empty room. "Stay away from her Lucius. Do you understand me?" His tone was quiet and calm, and he could see that his friend understood just how dangerous he was tonight.

Lucius inclined his head. "I understand you, very well." He said, keeping quite still. "I'm leaving to join my family tonight Severus, you will not see me again until this is over."

"Keep them safe, Lucius." Severus said softly and lowered his wand, his weariness sitting on his shoulders.

"I plan to." He said softly. "Take care of yourself as well. I want you still around to share a drink with me when it's done with."

"I have no plans of lying down and dying just yet." He said quietly. "There are too many people depending on me."

Lucius nodded and went over, gripping his shoulder. "Don't deny yourself a little comfort Severus, take it where it's offered. There will be little of it on offer until this is all over."

He gave Lucius a withering look.

"Just a suggestion." He winked at his friend and left the room. "Watch your back, old friend."

Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was grateful, eternally so, that Lucius and his family would be safe. Aiding them before things really turned nasty was a calculated move as well. Lucius was just as adept as he was when it came to playing both sides against the middle. This was a decisive choice against the Dark Lord, and he sensed Narcissa's hand behind it. She had never been as ardent a supporter as her sister, and at the end of the day her first priority was her son. She would do whatever it took to protect Draco.

"Severus?" Hermione's voice came to him from the doorway.

"Miss Granger…Hermione." He corrected himself. "I was just taking my leave of Lucius."

"Had he healed his lip yet?" She smirked.

"No. I'm assuming it was well deserved?" He chuckled at the completely unrepentant look on her face. She wouldn't be the first one who'd wanted to strike the smug look off Lucius face, though he imagined she was one of the very few that had ever dared.

"Quite." Was her succinct reply.

"We should return to Hogwarts. You'll need to change and get back to your dormitory before curfew." He said and headed over.

"As nice as it is to see Sirius and Remus, I think it's time to go." She said. Sitting in a room with the two men was a bit much when they were trying oh so hard to pretend they were not impatient for her to go. She could see how much they meant to one another, and she doubted it was entirely platonic.

He offered her his arm. "Allow me then. I would ask that you refrain from casting any complex magic for the next day or so. You need to allow yourself to recover."

"I'll do my best." She smiled and took his arm, letting him apparate them back to the school. She paused a moment and looked up at him. She bit her bottom lip and then after a heartbeat's deliberation, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for today." She whispered and moved back, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Severus was gobsmacked and blinked at the blushing witch. "It was my pleasure." He said quietly. "I'll wait out here while you change." He said, guiding her towards the cabin and trying to process the chaste kiss. He'd never for a moment considered that she might see him as anything other than a mentor, but that look on her face as she moved back from him had been telling. He touched his cheek, still able to feel the ghostly caress of soft lips there. The smallest of smiles curved up the corner of his mouth as he waited out in the darkening woods for her to rejoin him.

They did not speak as they walked back into the castle through the tunnels and he watched her head off towards Gryffindor Tower. It was early enough in the night that no one would think much of her leaving the dungeons from the direction of the potions labs. She was usually down there several nights a week. He headed towards his office, unsurprised to find Theodore Nott there, waiting for him.

"Mr. Nott, I was unaware that we had an appointment." He said, raising an eyebrow.

"We didn't Sir, but there is a situation in the dorms I believe you need to be appraised of." He said.

"Very well, come in." He gestured the boy into his office.

"Draco's missing. He missed his last class this afternoon and when I went to check the dorm room, all of his things were gone." He said, obviously worried.

"Mr. Malfoy will be gone for the foreseeable future. In consideration of that, I would ask that you assume his Prefect duties." He said. "You noticed something amiss, and responded swiftly and appropriately."

Theo looked surprised but nodded. "I'd be honoured Sir." He said respectfully. "I'll inform everyone there's nothing to be alarmed about. Good evening Sir."

"I'll have a Prefect's badge for you tomorrow at breakfast Mr. Nott." Severus said by way of dismissal and once he was gone he sank into his chair, mentally and magically exhausted for the night.

ooOoo

Hermione was sitting in the common room a few days later, studying her charms notes when Harry came down. It was late and pretty much everyone else was asleep. He came over and sat beside her. "Hey Harry." She smiled.

"I was wondering if we could talk a little?" He asked her.

"Sure, what's on your mind?" She asked and set her notes aside.

"I know there's something going on with you this year, and I just want you to know that you can talk to me. Even if it's something Ron won't understand…I'll try to." He said, something clearly bothering him.

"What's this all about Harry?" She asked, cutting to the chase.

"I saw you on the Marauder's map the other night. With Snape." He said, looking guilty.

"Harry James Potter! Were you spying on me?" She raised her eyebrows and gave him a reproachful glare. She'd known something like this was going to happen.

"I was worried. You came in the other night just exhausted after he said he'd needed you for the Headmaster, and then I couldn't find you anywhere. You'd just disappeared off the map entirely, and so had they." Harry said.

"Look there are things that I can't tell you Harry." She reached over and took his hand. "The war's going to really start soon, and the Headmaster knows it. We all have things we have to do now in order to prepare. You have your lessons with the Headmaster, and Professor Snape is helping me with some things too. The other night…it was a family thing. The Professor was just kind enough to escort me. Everything was fine, but it was a bit of a scare." She explained, keeping it vauge.

Harry nodded. "It's going to get bad isn't it?" He squeezed her hand tightly.

"Yeah, I think so." She said. "Listen, no matter what happens…or what I might have to say or do, I will always have your back. Ok?" She met his eyes, willing him to understand.

Harry nodded. "Be careful 'Mione…" He said softly and just sat with her. He could feel that she was mixed up in something big, something dangerous. He also knew that she was the smartest person he had ever known, and if she needed his help she'd ask for it. The fiasco at the Department of Mysteries had been a sobering experience for him. He'd learned the costs of being impulsive. War wasn't coming, it was here and he needed to grow up.


	9. Intuitive Magic

A/N: Sorry for the long hiatus, I was taking part in a writing competition and it helped do some deep diving into certain characters. But the good news is that I am back. I hope you all enjoy the latest installment.

ooOoo

"Legillimens!" Severus cast at the witch sitting across from him. He pressed through her swirling shield of inane thoughts, superfluous feelings, and struck sharply into her inner defences. Bright light blinded him as he pressed his assault deeper, it fought him instinctively and sought to drive him out. Exhausted by the effort, he finally withdrew and slumped back into his chair, utterly spent. He did hand Hermione a handkerchief for her bloody nose.

"Remarkable," he said, immensely proud of her. This was their sixth session and he knew dismantling her shields would be a brutal and grueling task. The deeper defences she had learned to construct also had the feel of a natural response, and not a conditioned one. If she were ever subjected to an intense mental attack, the Legilimens responsible would be left with the feel of a natural occlumens…rather than someone that had been taught classically.

Hermione put pressure on her nose and smiled a bit, feeling an incredible wave of accomplishment run over her. Managing to obscure anything from the wizard sitting across from her was a herculean feat in her mind. While she might not be able to sustain it for long against someone like Voldemort, against most others this would be sufficient.

Severus stood and went to the sideboard, pouring them both a drink. "Have you given thought to what you will do over the holidays?" he asked her.

"I want to go and see the state of my London house. Hopefully it's in the same condition as the one in Bath. Would you like to come with me?" she asked him, a bit hesitantly. Things had been very neutral since the night after the Order meeting. She felt guilty about the kiss. Clearly she had crossed a line he hadn't wanted violated.

"It would be my pleasure, Hermione," he said. "I could meet you in Muggle London, once you get off the Hogwarts Express."

"That makes the most sense." An excited flutter passed through her stomach, making Hermione wish that the holiday was here already.

"Then it's decided," Severus said with finality.

"Have you heard anything from Draco?" she asked.

"No, but I do not expect to. In this case, it really is a matter of no news, is good news." No news meant that the Dark Lord had not yet located them. There had been a meeting the night after Lucius's defection, and an eerie nothingness ever since. The Dark Lord was keeping to his word to not bother him overmuch this term.

"I'm glad he's safe. He might be an ass, but I don't think he'd have lasted long as a Death Eater." There was a vulnerability to Draco, as though he felt the need to pretend to be much stronger than he was. Something about how Severus described Voldemort led Hermione to believe that he'd enjoy breaking down a boy like that, purely for his own twisted pleasures.

"I tend to agree with you." Severus said softly. "He tries very hard to be like his father, but he is undeniably his mother's son. He's actually my godson." Why he'd offered the information honestly puzzled Severus, but more and more he wanted this witch to know him.

"I'd always wondered," she said, sipping the drink he handed her. "This tastes different…" She said looking at it speculatively.

"It's a much older, muggle kind of scotch." He was coming to know all of her little expressions, and could see that she preferred fire whiskey, but was too polite to say so. Always so preoccupied with her manners, it was quite endearing. "I should apologize for my behaviour of late. I've been distant, and given the nature of our assignment it is inexcusable." He said addressing the issue at last. The kiss had become the large, immovable object between them, and the blame for that rested purely on his shoulders.

"It's my fault, I shouldn't have done that." Hermione blushed a little, dropping her eyes. "It was just a spur of the moment thing. I'm sorry I offended you."

Severus took a deep breath. "No, you misunderstand. It was not unwelcome, and that is the problem," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. "You are…young, and things are going to become complicated enough without emotions clouding the issue. I would pretend to simply be flattered, but I did promise to try and be truthful with you." He watched the realization of what he was saying spread across her face. "I am not a casual man, Hermione. Should the 'spur of the moment' hit you again, be aware that I may not let you simply pull back and walk away." He gave her the only warning he would ever utter. She was intelligent enough to take it to heart.

"I consider myself duly informed." She answered with a small nod, a bit of a shiver going down her spine at the intense look in his eyes.

Severus merely nodded. "We will leave it at that then." He had acknowledged his interest, and would wait for her to express her own or not. He could manufacture memories of intimacy if the Dark Lord pressed for them, at least for the moment. Her own would be harder to fake, and he knew that Tom would eventually insist on meeting the girl.

Hermione sipped her drink, feeling the warmth slip through her. "I think this is the first year I haven't been losing my head prepping for exams," she said, shifting the subject.

"I am quite certain that even without ever opening another book, you'd manage to pass your Newts next year." He snorted and looked at her. "You don't need to try so desperately hard you know." The hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

She frowned. "I'm not!"

"You are," he retorted. "You have a brilliant mind, Hermione…but you don't need to prove that every second of the day. I assure you, any teacher that has had the pleasure of instructing you is most aware of that fact. You take naturally to most areas of study, though admittedly you do seem to struggle in areas where the magic is less structured and more by feel. Hence your E on your Defence Owl." He said, pausing a moment as a bit of inspiration hit him. "Put the books aside for a month, and just feel your way through your magic. Consider it an assignment."

"But what about class, and my homework assignments?" She all but gaped at him.

"As you've memorized all your texts for the year, I have no doubt that you'll still turn in work far above the standard of your peers," he teased her, mood lightened by the alcohol. "Magic has existed longer than paper, and far pre-dates the printed word. Once you are able to connect your intent and magic intuitively, you will begin to truly understand the work in your classes beyond the text-book explanations. True mastery comes from within," he said while looking into her eyes. "It will infinitely improve your prowess with occlumency, as well as your dueling abilities."

She bit her bottom lip a little. "I'll try it."

"Good." Severus found his eyes lingering on where her bottom lip was caught between her teeth. "You should head back to your dormitory, I have some marking yet to complete." He said as he set his empty glass aside. It was best to send her safely back to her dormitory before he took things too far. These days she featured far too frequently in his dreams, and it was tempting fate to keep her here any longer than was necessary for their lessons.

"Goodnight Severus," she said and stood, gathering her things and slipping out of his rooms. It was still early enough that anyone seeing her in the dungeons would just assume she had been down working in one of the potions labs. His challenge to her was a daunting one, just the thought of not opening a book for a whole month left her almost twitchy. She knew he had his reasons for it and she would try, but she had no idea how she was going to manage.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Severus saw little of Hermione outside of classes for the next two weeks. The time leading up to the spring break was always packed tight. He had to get caught up on marking, and tended to assign more essay work to ensure everyone was preparing adequately for their examinations. It had been with immense satisfaction that he'd noticed the absence of books on Hermione's workstation during class, working purely off the blackboard instructions and her own knowledge of the potion. Pride had flickered through him when he noticed her adjusting her potion slightly, trying to improve her potion intuitively. While it had not resulted in her usual standard of perfection, he was pleased to see her trying new things and following her instincts.

Curfew was looming and Severus was patrolling the dungeons in search of little snakes that were flouting the rules. He might not take points or publically reprimand them, but every single member of his house was aware that he did not condone getting caught. Those detentions were always imaginative, and he had a fresh batch of shrivelfigs that needed skinning. He heard a muffled sound coming from the first year potions room and paused, not able to identify the words but the general tone led him to believe they were cursing. He could smell something acrid, clearly a potion gone wrong. The sight revealed as Severus opened the door nearly made him dissolve into laughter. He managed not to, but it was a close thing. Hermione was bent over a smoking cauldron, her hair frizzed out in a manner he'd never before seen, and she looked utterly distraught at the mess in her cauldron.

"Miss Granger, what on earth are you working on?" he asked, still resisting the urge to chuckle. His cheeks were actually beginning to ache with the effort.

"I'm still trying to figure out the Draught of Living Death." She sat down on her stool and vanished the disaster in her cauldron. "No one who tried brewing it from the text book has been able to pull it off, and I thought that your challenge to try and feel my way through was a hint, but that's the worst attempt yet."

Severus was surprised. Unlike Slughorn, he'd never felt that forcing students to tackle one of the most difficult of all the Newt level potions in their first class was terribly fair. He merely set it as a challenge for the entirety of the sixth year. Even with those open parameters, he'd only ever had two students claim the prize in his years as Hogwarts Potions Master. Most students gave up by mid-November, and he shuddered to think how many times she'd attempted brewing it and how much she'd spent on ingredients. "Would you care for an advanced brewing lesson?" He heard himself offer. "It will remove the prize from the equation, but I feel you will value the knowledge of the process more than a vial of Liquid Luck." He said.

Hermione's eyebrows rose. "I would like that, very much." She said.

Severus removed his outer robes and placed them over the back of his chair and brought a piece of chalk over, handing it to Hermione. "Write out the instructions as you remember them," he said and cleaned the work space again. Utilizing his own stores this time, he laid out all the necessary ingredients with a familiar layout. It had been a while since he'd actually brewed this particular potion himself, and it would be good to have some on his stores. He turned back as she finished writing everything out.

"I think that's everything." She said, reading them over again.

"Yes, a perfect copy from Advanced Potion-Making. It is also the most dumbed-down version of this potion in existence, made that way to avoid explosive accidents in the classroom. Unfortunately it also prevents anyone from being terribly successful," Severus said and motioned for her to join him.

Hermione went over to the desk and suppressed a shiver as he stood somewhat closer than was appropriate. His sleeves were rolled up over his forearms, and she felt a little flushed. She'd never seen him display so much skin. The Dark Mark was there on full display, and she couldn't resist sneaking the smallest of peeks at it. Lips brushed against her ear as he whispered the steps to her, his hands occasionally covering hers as she prepared the ingredients. The instructions were forgotten as she listened solely to his directives, adding a bit more of one ingredient and a little less of others. They crushed the beans rather than slicing them. When it came time to stir she closed her eyes at his urging.

"Feel the viscosity, and focus on the moment it changes. Wait for that moment when the potion stops resisting, when it surrenders. That is when you reverse the stirring for two more strokes." He guided her hand, seeing the subtle frown on her face as she felt the potion suddenly change, and then she immediately reversed her stirring. "Perfect." He released her hand as she withdrew her stirring rod from the cauldron.

Hermione opened her eyes to see the perfect, inky black potion in her cauldron. "That was…"

Severus smiled and moved back, albeit reluctantly. "That is how you brew once you move past the books and instructions. It's all by feel, guided by your instinctive knowledge of the ingredients and their interactions with each other. Admittedly, you get more accidents that way, but your potions will always be superior for it." He said. "Bottle that, you never know when it may come in handy."

She smiled and went to get some clean flasks. She bottled it under his careful eye, and sealed them with black wax. A quick unbreakable charm was cast over the vials before she flicked her eyes to his, seeking approval.

"You may store those in my office, if you wish to," Severus said.

"I'd like that," she said. After cleaning her work space, and gathering the bottles up, Hermione followed him to his office. He opened a small wooden chest on his desk, and helped her store them inside. As the last bottle was tucked away, she turned and touched his arm. "Thank you, Severus."

He smiled very slightly. "I'm glad you enjoyed the lesson." The soft warmth of her hand against his skin was maddening.

"Are you still able to join me in London?" she asked, not really wanting to move back from him. There was something almost magnetic about him tonight.

"I am, Professor Sinestra has agreed to cover my duties over the break," he said, resisting the urge to touch her in return. He'd made a promise to himself not to push her, it had to be her decision.

"Then I'll meet you outside the station tomorrow." Hermione very reluctantly released his arm, trying to hide her disappointment that he hadn't returned her contact.

"Good night Hermione," Severus said softly.

"Good night," she answered and withdrew from the office. Butterflies were dancing around in her stomach as she headed back up to Gryffindor Tower. She slipped through the portrait hole and spotted Harry sitting by the fire, reading something. She headed over and sat down beside her friend. "Hey, what are you reading?"

"Reviewing some of the supplemental texts for Potions." He said. "Ron is completely disgusted with me, and headed off to raid the kitchens with Seamus and Dean." Harry rolled his eyes and laughed.

"I'm proud of you Harry, you've been working really hard. Thank you for taking what I said seriously that night." It meant a lot to her that he'd taken her criticism to heart and made an effort to change.

"You were right. Potions are important, and I've been an ass about it just because Snape and I don't get on," he said and leaned back on the couch. "How can you stand working with him?" There was an honest question in his eyes, as if he simply couldn't conceive how anyone could stand to spend time in Snape's company.

"He's not so bad," she said softly. "He has a lot of masks, and a lot of roles to play. It's hard to look past that, but he risks so much for us all that I think we owe him the benefit of the doubt. Every time he's called, he could be going to his death. You know that right?" The sheer danger Severus placed himself in for all of them was humbling, at least to Hermione.

"Not if he's really on the other side," Harry muttered, then cried out as Hermione punched his arm. "Hey!"

"Just stop." She gave him a hard look. "Dumbledore trusts him, and so do I. Don't ever say that again Harry, I mean it."

"I'm sorry, I just…I guess I don't see him like you do." The sheer venom in her tone had startled Harry, giving him the tiniest glimpse of just how close his friend had gotten to their Professor.

"No, you don't." Hermione sighed and leaned back. Unbidden a laugh slipped past her lips as she realized that she really hoped that Harry didn't see Severus like she did. The more she thought about it, the harder she laughed, and she was aware of Harry frowning at her. "I'm sorry…I just…" She kept laughing, and tried to wipe the tears out of her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Harry was completely confused.

"Yeah, I'm sorry…" She took a deep, steadying breath. "I just had a funny image in my head, I'll be fine. I was in the potions lab, must have been the fumes." Hermione managed to get her composure back. "Are you staying at the school over the break?"

"Yeah, I need to get caught up on some stuff." Harry gestured to the mounds of parchment and books surrounding him, he felt a little like Hermione to be honest.

"I'm going to spend some time with my parents, at least while I can," she said. It still felt weird to lie to Harry, but she knew it was for the best.

"Yeah. Just be careful, with the Azkaban breakout…" he trailed off.

"I'll be careful." She squeezed his hand. "Goodnight Harry, I'll see you in the morning before we head down to the carriages."

"Night," he said, squeezing her hand back. His best friend was changing, not in big dramatic ways, but in little shifts. Something about her lessons with Snape was helping her to find the confidence she'd always pretended to have. She'd stopped cleaving tightly to her books, and was spending time focusing on making her spells her own. He'd even caught her working on something unique, and for his rule-loving best friend that was an amazing leap. It was hard to put his finger on all the changes, but he had a feeling they'd help her face the coming war.


	10. Darkness Within

**A/N: All usual disclaimers apply. Back after an unplanned break, and hopefully back on track with this chapter.**

o.o.O.o.o

It was truly strange riding down to the train with Ron and Harry, both boys had elected to stay behind over the Easter hols, Harry because he was actually trying to improve his grades and Ron because Lavender was staying and they were planning some 'quality time' together. Merlin, if those two ended up a permanent thing she was going to have to start brewing industrial strength anti-nausea potions. She was sharing a carriage with Neville, Luna, and Susan Bones.

"I think you'll have a lovely holiday, Hermione. Secrets are wonderful things sometimes, aren't they?" Luna said dreamily.

Hermione blinked, not for the first time wondering if Luna was some sort of closet Legillimens. "Sometimes they are, sometimes not. But it'll be nice to have a little break from studying though."

"Who are you, and what have you done with Hermione Granger?" Susan said in mock horror.

Hermione and the others all laughed too. "I've just been realizing there are more important things than writing the longest essay…that's all," she blushed a little. She'd actually had Professor Flitwick pull her aside last week to ask if she was all right after she'd handed in an essay only a foot longer than requested…rather than her usual three. She'd reassured him that she was fine, and simply devoting some time to a little bit of personal research.

"Thanks again for helping me with the outline for my defence essay," Neville said.

"You're welcome, I don't mind helping…I'm just sick of certain people thinking they're entitled to copy my work," she huffed, still angry at Ron.

"He really can't take a hint can he? Even Seamus tried talking some sense into him the other night," Neville said. "We all told him if he was so desperate for help, he should ask his girlfriend." His eyes danced with amusement.

Hermione snorted. "Only if he wants his grades to get worse."

Susan laughed. "Hermione!" The red-head looked torn between shock and amusement.

"Well it's true, she's the biggest air-head in Gryffindor Tower." Hermione sighed. "I mean…I'm happy for Ron, but I'll never like her."

"Everyone needs someone, but the right someone. You need to find the person that fits, and Ron was never going to…you knew it too." Luna said with a smile.

Hermione nodded, and just relaxed for the rest of the ride to Hogsmeade. The four of them headed on board, and Hermione left them to get a compartment together as she headed to the Prefect's carriage. There weren't many of them going back for the holiday, so they'd need to trade off patrols to keep everyone in order. She entered and nodded to Theo. "Nott," she said and sat down.

"Granger." Theo replied, a bit of a smirk on his lips.

"Congratulations on being made Prefect by the way." Hermione made herself say, not commenting that she thought he'd probably make a better prefect than Malfoy had ever been.

"Not sure I like how I got it, but I plan to make the best of it." He said wryly. "Big plans for the holidays?"

"Not really, I'm hoping for a nice quiet break. What about you?" She asked.

"I wanted to reference a few things for my arithmancy project in some texts at home." He had the grace to look a little embarrassed.

"What did you end up choosing for your year-end equation?" Hermione asked, and they spent the time waiting for the others to join them debating the relative merits of the two different schools of calculation theory. Once you got past the whole 'Slytherin' thing, Theo wasn't really all that bad. The trip to London was fairly uneventful, just keeping the first years from being pranked by older students, and reminded a few older students that the back compartments were not for making out in. Honestly.

Once they arrived in London she shrunk her trunk and slipped it into her pocket, heading out into the muggle side of the terminal. She slipped through the busy crowds at King's Cross, not wanting anyone to notice who she was meeting here. The streets outside were bustling today, and it was unseasonally chilly. Hermione turned her collar up a little and let her eyes search the crowd as her feet took her a little bit up the road. Sitting at a table in the café just up the street was a familiar figure, and a smile crossed her lips. A quick, and cautious dart across the road saw Hermione over to his side.

Severus smiled and motioned for her to join him. "I took the liberty of ordering you a cappuccino," He remembered from one of his many forays into her mind just how much she like the frothy concoction. The smile that lit her face up was more than enough to reward the awkward moments trying to figure out how to order the damned thing. How hard was it honestly to order a simple, bloody coffee? The answer was truly harder than one would expect.

"Thank you." She said, picking up the steaming mug. Clearly he had cast a warming charm on her drink to keep it piping hot. "Do you think we might be able to turn this next place into an adequate safe house?" She asked.

"Location-wise it is the very best of the three options. It would be very simple to reach from anywhere in London, and with the population as it is here not many would notice your coming and goings. Hopefully the wards are sufficient, but if not we can see about working on making it unplottable or even consider casting a fidelius over it." He mused.

Hermione nodded, aware that no one was looking in their direction at all. "Notice-me-not charm?" She asked.

He chuckled and inclined his head. "Adjusted slightly so you would notice me, but no one else would. Easiest way to remain unremarked in the muggle world. I can teach you my variation on the charm." He promised.

"I suppose I should have asked this earlier, but what happens if you're summoned while we're at my home?"

"I have an emergency potions kit with me, and I will leave it in your care in the unlikely event of my summoning. I will return to you first, and then if necessary go and update the Headmaster." Severus said, pleased that she had remembered her duties, even if somewhat belatedly.

"Ok." She said, still somewhat nervous about being responsible for healing him. So far he hadn't required any of the care she'd been trained in, but she feared that it was only a matter of time before her skills were put to the test.

"It will be fine, Hermione." His dark eyes met her, able to sense her unease. After his reassurance they finished their drinks and Severus left a decent tip on the table before ushering her out of the café, and over to a cab. The trip to Chelsea was spent in companionable silence and he was forever grateful that she was not nervously trying to create conversation where none was needed. He was highly aware of just how utterly inappropriate this was, but a small part of him wanted to tell propriety to go and fuck itself. The girl was being all but thrown at him by both of his masters, and far more innocently by the young woman herself. He seemed to be the lone voice of sanity screaming in the darkness that this was absolutely NOT right. Maybe it was time for him to just give in and take the offered prize.

He paid the driver once they arrived at the right address, and together they headed for the white fronted townhome. Like the house in Bath, it seemed as if time had simply halted. The gate was a little rusty and weathered, but opened smoothly at Hermione's light touch. She went to the front door and walked inside.

The décor was rather stuffy, and dark and reminded Hermione instantly of Grimmauld Place…and not in a good way. She made a bit of a face. "Well…it could use some cheering up." She muttered, and nearly jumped out of her skin as a little pop announced the appearance of a House Elf.

"Mistress?" The little creature said hopefully.

"Yes, what's your name?" Hermione said, taking charge.

"Mips, Mistress….I am Mips. How may Mips serve you?" She asked.

"I need to be shown the ward stone for this house." She said, and together she and Professor Snape followed the elf down into the cellar. The room looked like it had at one point been a potions lab but had long been packed away and forgotten. The elf pointed out a very specific brick.

"Will Miss require anything else?"

"Yes, I'll be staying over the holiday and Professor Snape will need a guest room prepared for his use as well." Hermione said.

"Yes Mistress! Right away!" The little elf all but danced before disappearing with a loud crack.

Severus chuckled a little. "They are eager to please…that's for certain. You remember what you need to do?" He asked her.

Hermione nodded and used a mild cutting hex to slice into her palm, she hissed a little at the sharp pain but pressed her palm against the rough brick. She felt Severus come to stand behind her, steadying her body as the wards drew from her, awake now and hungry. They felt different than the ones at Bathhampton House, these were greedier and pulled harder on her. She felt blackness eating at the edge of her vision, and then she was being pulled back from the wall.

"Hermione?" Severus' fingers searched her throat and let out a relieved breath as he found her pulse fluttering there. It was weaker than he liked, but there and steady. He could feel the strength of these wards and knew that they had to be much more intricate than the other home had been. He shifted his grip and picked her up, carrying her unconscious form upstairs. This was becoming something of a habit, and he couldn't help but be slightly amused. "Mips?" He called as he reached the main floor.

"Yes, friend of Mistress?" The elf looked at her unconscious Mistress with worry.

"Lead the way to your Mistress' bedroom. She is in need of rest after feeding the wards." He said, reassuring the creature as it pulled on its ears.

"This way." The elf led him up to the second floor and opened the door to a femininely appointed suite of rooms. The bedroom was decorated in pale peach, and he couldn't honestly imagine the girl in his arms being too terribly fond of it. He laid her down on the bed and checked her pulse again. It was stronger now. He had the Elf bring him some tea while he waited for her to wake back up. It was not a terribly long wait before her eyelashes started to flutter against her cheeks. He was still unsure about what he felt for this witch, and he'd always hated unknowns. There was a warmth that spread through his chest as her eyes met his, relief that she was unscathed.

"What happened?" She asked.

"The wards were more demanding than I anticipated." Severus said, and watched as she sat up against the headboard. "How do you feel?"

"Floaty." She decided on that word, feeling like she was in a dream. "It felt so different, almost sinister."

He nodded. "Wards are often coloured by the person who laid them in the first place, it's quite possible that there are some nastier aspects to these wards. Not necessarily a bad thing, but they will likely need a tad more attention than the ones in Bath." He prepared a cup of tea for her and once she seemed aware enough to hold it, he pressed it into her hand. "Drink, it'll help ground you."

"Where exactly am I?" She looked around in a bit of disgust at the very….pinky/peachy room.

"Your bedroom, apparently." A wicked little grin quirked his lips as she shuddered.

"The peach has to go…" She said decisively.

Severus took pity on her and lifted his wand. "What colour would you like?" He asked.

"Maybe something in a soft blue?" She asked.

Severus nodded and stood, going through the room and replacing the sickening shades of pink with blue, choosing a warmer colour closer to the green scale than she would have perhaps chosen herself. He accented it with simple white, and changed the bedding to a few shades deeper than the walls. "Better?"

"A vast improvement." She smiled, aware enough now to be a little uncomfortable as he sat down on the edge of her bed. Not that she was worried he'd do anything to her, more that she was ultra-aware of him now. Ever since that night in the potions lab, she'd been having intensely vivid dreams and now he was here…in her bedroom.

"Why don't you get a little more rest, and I'll have a look around and see if there's anything that passes for a reading room in this house." Severus suggested. "I'll have Mips wake you in time for dinner."

Hermione nodded. "Ok, I'm still feeling pretty spent."

Severus stood. "I'll see you in a little while then." He left the bedroom and shut the door gently behind him. He ended up leaning against the wall a little down from her room. He raked a hand through his hair and mentally swore. He couldn't do this, not without her knowing the truth. The simple truth was that he respected her, more than he respected just about anyone else. She was willing to risk her life for her friends, for her chosen side in the war. There were people on both sides that could claim the same, but she was different…a spark of light in a world that had grown too dark. When she spoke you could feel the belief behind her words, and she could be so compelling when she spoke about something that interested her.

He continued to walk down the hall, taking his time and exploring the house. There was a lovely reading room, again it would need some redecorating…but the books were a treasure trove. Perusing the titles was a welcome distraction from the enigma that was his feelings for the girl. If she were only a few years older, Severus knew he wouldn't have been nearly as torn. It was purely her age that tormented him, and the fact that like it or not he was her teacher, and in a position of authority over her. It was a wretched abuse of power, and he hated that he was being forced into this corner. He let out a harsh sigh and plucked a book from the shelf, going to sit in one of the chairs and read for a while.

"Friend of Mistress? Dinner is ready…Mips be getting Mistress now." The little elf disappeared.

Severus use a piece of ribbon to mark his spot, and reluctantly stood. He fully intended to return to it after they had eaten. He imagined that Hermione would be eager to explore the library herself, and reading would be an innocent enough diversion for them both tonight. The dining room had two places set.

Hermione came in, and she gave him a small smile.

"Feeling better?" He asked, moving to hold her chair for her as she sat down.

"I feel more in my own skin again. I can still feel the wards, but it's fading a bit now." She said, settling into her chair with a smile. "Is there a way to figure out which wards have been woven together on this property?" She asked, as their meal appeared on the table in front of them.

"In a couple of days, once you've recovered fully, I'll take you back down to the ward stone and show you how to examine the wards. There are spells that will reveal the different layers built into someone's protections, so you can alter them if you wish…though I would caution against it. For the time being, the more secure and aggressive your wards are…the better off you will be." He said quietly.

Hermione nodded. "You're right. Once the Ministry falls…what's going to happen?" She asked quietly.

"Nothing good." He said and poured them both some of the wine on the table. "The Dark Lord will install a Minister, likely someone under the Imperius curse…and the Board will announce the dismissal of Albus from the school. It's likely he will also install one or two Death Eaters onto the staff once he appoints me as Headmaster, I only pray I have some manner of say who he chooses." He sighed sadly. "I will not have some of the more…sadistic creatures in the Dark Lord's service unleashed on children. I will not." He said firmly.

Hermione reached over, touching his hand to lend some silent support.

Severus turned his hand up and interlaced his fingers with hers, accepting it. "When everything happens, it will be chaos. I want you here, safe and protected, until we can be certain of the lay of the land. The Dark Lord has told the others to let you be, but I don't want to risk you falling into the hands of someone ignorant of that…or worse some overzealous Ministry employee who seeks to curry favour by causing you harm." He met her eyes. "Over the break…you should take a trip to Diagon Alley and purchase yourself an owl. You will need a reliable way to send and receive post, other than using the school owls."

Hermione nodded, trying not to feel the flutter of fear in her gut. "What about the other muggle-born students?" She asked quietly, guilt seizing her gut as she realized that she'd never asked about the others.

"Some have distant squib relatives, and have had their ancestry documented by the goblins. They should be safe enough. Those that do not…the Headmaster has been working with the other teachers to find safe places for them. It's not enough, but we've done what we can." Severus answered her.

Hermione nodded quietly. "So I got lucky."

"Depending on how you look at it, yes. Or very unlucky." Severus said. "If you'd had no magical ancestry, you would be going into hiding once the Ministry fell…whether you wanted to or not. For now all we can do is focus on our tasks, and perform our duties to the best of our abilities. If everyone does that, we will win. Right now that means eating your dinner, and regaining your strength." Severus said kindly.

Hermione nodded, giving his hand a last squeeze before releasing it to pick up her fork. Dinner was actually quite nice, and it distracted her from the worries about the months to come. Idly she wondered where House Elves got the food for their families from, and how it was all paid for. It was one of those things that sometimes made her pause and wonder, little things that she was certain someone raised in the wizarding world would know without ever needing to ask, and would just assume everyone else did too. She set those thoughts aside and enjoyed the light meal. Dessert was a light and airy chocolate mousse with whipped cream.

"During my exploration of the house, I found a small reading room. I imagine there are at least a few books there you haven't yet read." Severus said, rather enjoying watching her eat. She didn't rush through her meal like so many others did, and there was real pleasure on her face while she enjoyed the chocolate dessert. If someone had told him last year he'd be sharing a meal with the Gryffindor know-it-all, and enjoying it, he would have questioned their mental stability…and yet here they were. It was strangely reassuring to know that he wasn't entirely alone, that someone else saw the world in remotely the same way he did.

"Show me?" She asked.

Severus nodded and stood, waiting for her. He led her to the comfortable room, and returned to the sofa in front of the fire, picking up his book. "There's an impressive array of topics." He remarked, watching her perusing the shelves. He allowed himself to just watch her as she traced her finger along the spines of the books. It never failed to astound him that so much magic, and fire was contained in her petite form. She had slender, delicate hands…ideal for a potioneer, he noted idly. She plucked a book from the shelf and came over, sitting down beside him on the sofa. He blinked a little as it brought her well inside his comfort zone, but she seemed oblivious.

Trying to hide his discomfort, he turned back to his book and tried to give the century-old potion's journal its due attention. He nearly dropped his book as she shifted on the couch and settled against his side. He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Is there something wrong with your side of the sofa, Miss Granger?" He asked.

"No, there is not, Severus." She replied with a smirk, not looking up from her book. "I am merely making my interest known." With that her eyes flicked up to meet his, a little nervous but certain.

Severus looked down at her and felt guilt battle with desire, for the millionth time this year. He lifted a hand and brushed his thumb along her cheekbone. "Why would you ever choose me?"

Hermione blushed and looked down, but inclined her head very subtly into his touch. "Because you understand, and you care…even though you shouldn't." She swallowed. "When I'm close to you, I can't think about anything else, except how much I want to touch you. And how much I want you to touch me." She admitted, summoning her Gryffindor bravery. "The dream you dismissed as an aftereffect of Amortentia was actually from long before that lesson."

Severus slid his fingers into her hair. "Everyone is throwing you at me like some kind of paltry reward, they have no idea what you really are." He said softly as her eyes lifted to meet his, burnt amber laced with gold. So beautiful. "You're far too good for me, Hermione. Unfortunately, I'm not a good enough man to tell you no." He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, tasting them for the first time. When she gasped softly, he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, pulling her closer. He felt her hand rest on his chest just in time for his arm to being to sear. He pulled back and swore under his breath.

"You have to go." She could feel her necklace heating up against her skin.

He nodded and raked a hand through his hair as he stood. "I'll be back when I can." A quick flick of his wand transfigured his robes and conjured his mask. He took a shrunken case from his pocket and tapped it. "My healer's kit, just in case." He quickly left, apparating once he was outside of the wards.

o.o.O.o.o

The clearing he arrived in overlooked a decrepit looking graveyard. He approached his Lord and fell to one knee before him. The wetness of the grass soaked into the knee of his trousers and helped to cool the ardor he'd been feeling in Miss Granger's embrace. It was a dangerous thing to let his thoughts linger on the young witch, especially here.

"Rise Severus, we have much to discuss and I am certain you will be wanting to return to your conquest without much delay." The dark lord said, voice caressing the word 'conquest' in a slightly obscene manner.

"Conquest, my Lord?" He arched an eyebrow at his Master questioningly. His cool tone, and indifferent expression betraying nothing.

"I assume that was the reason for your absence from the school, an illicit rendezvous with the young Miss Blishwick." The Dark Lord said pointedly.

"She requested my company, far be it from me to deny her." Severus said, inclining his head respectfully. The Dark Lord had eyes on him at the school, and the question over who it was itched at his brain like a sliver under his skin.

"How goes your attempts to turn her on the Headmaster?" He enquired, sharp crimson eyes fixed on Severus' face.

"Slowly, but I am making progress. In truth the old man's own actions are far more efficient at eroding her confidence in him than anything I could say or do. She's too clever to be drawn in by his wholesome façade, and she would easily see through any attempts to manipulate her perceptions. It will be an easy thing to support her own observations, and have her draw the desired conclusions." Severus said smoothly.

"Good. I have an additional task for you, in regards to the girl. I wish her to learn the Dark Arts, and this June, she will face a test far more taxing than her examinations. Be certain she is prepared to use the Unforgivables by then. I assure you that a failure on her part in this test will have deadly consequences…for the both of you. I require absolute proof of her loyalty to you, and subsequently to me," The Dark Lord said. "It is essential to my plans, and I will be most displeased should she have a crisis of conscience."

Severus felt cold, a shiver going down his spine. "What plans my Lord? If I were to…" His query was cut off by a scream as his master hit him with a vicious Crucio that left him writhing on the wet grass.

"Do not mistake my fondness for you, for weakness, Severus." He ceased the curse. "You will be told what I deem necessary for you to know, and no more. You will not QUESTION me." He flicked his wand, opening a nasty laceration across Severus' upper body. "Train the girl, and be certain she is prepared. That is all you need to know."

Severus fought the urge to curl in on himself. "Yes my Lord. Forgive my lapse, I truly meant no disrespect." He gasped, he could feel blood soaking into his robes and running down his skin.

"You are forgiven. Now go, return to your little pet and see to her preparation." The Dark Lord dismissed him, as a series of cracks broke the silence of the night…the others clearly having been summoned for something.

Severus knew lingering tonight would be very unwise. He swallowed and dragged himself up to his feet, apparating away and back to Hermione's home. He staggered into the reading room and was relieved when she rushed over and helped him over to sit.

"Oh my god…Severus!" She gasped her hands covered in blood from where she'd been supporting him. She opened the emergency kit and handed him a blood replenisher and she took a few steadying breaths while she opened his ruined shirt and saw the full extent of his wounds. Carefully, she began to chant a healing spell, watching as the skin slowly knit together, becoming whole under the persuasion of her magic. It had been a jagged, gaping wound that cut diagonally across his torso, from his navel up to his left shoulder. He'd only been gone for the span of a few minutes, but the damage was shocking.

She also got him a pain relieving potion, and his anti-cruciatus draught. She banished his ruined clothing, leaving him in only his boxers. She summoned a blanket and draped it over his lap to preserve his modesty and called for Mips to bring a basin of warm water and some clean cloths so she would wash the blood off the sensitive, newly healed skin. Her focus was so complete that she didn't even notice him watching her intently, dark eyes speculative.

"I can tend to that myself," He said as she began to gently wash the drying blood off his chest.

"It's ok." She flicked her eyes up to meet his. "I want to." She insisted, and continued to clean his chest off with steady hands. It was the first time she'd seen him without his signature layers, and she was captivated by the lean lines of muscle, and the smattering of white and pink scars that littered his body. She noted the slight jump of his muscles as she cleaned off the smears of blood on his abdomen, clearly a ticklish spot for him. She resisted the urge to smile and tease him about it, quite sure that even with the potions he had to be sore. "Why did he do this to you?" she asked softly.

"I asked the wrong question." He said, his fingers reaching out to toy with her curls while she tended to him.

"He nearly cut you in half for a question?" She shuddered.

"It would not be the first time, Hermione." He said quietly. "What he asked of me, I cannot do…will not do…so it's very likely my life will soon be forfeit." There was a detachment to his tone, as if they were not casually discussing his torture and death.

"What did he want?" Her hands still on his chest.

"It doesn't matter, as I said…I won't do it." He shook his head, jaw tight.

"If it doesn't matter, then tell me." She insisted.

"I told you that he wanted me to turn you, now he wants to ensure that your corruption is complete. He wants your soul stained as dark as mine, so that there is no way out of this for you. And I will not destroy you, not by my hand." He closed his eyes, head falling back against the couch.

"Don't you think that's my choice? What did he ask you to do?"

"No, Hermione…it is not your choice, because you do NOT understand. You can't understand." He said softly. "Once you let the darkness in, you can NEVER get it out. It taints everything about you, and will mark you forever as one of us."

"The dark is already inside me, you didn't put it there; I did." Hermione said, a determined set to her face. "Or did you forget what I did to Marietta Edgecomb? Or what I did to Umbridge. That was all me, and I'd do it again. Whatever Dolohov did to me changed me too, I can still feel his magic, like ink spilled under my skin. Don't tell me I'm not tainted already."

"It's not the same thing. He wants you to be trained in the Unforgivables…he means for you to use them." Severus lifted his head and met her eyes. "Do you understand now? He means to use you to kill someone, and that's the very best case scenario I can imagine."

Hermione felt ill at the thought of it but didn't look away. "This is a war, and people are going to die. I don't have the luxury of believing that somehow I'll come out of this with my hands clean. You're too important to lose, so if I have to spill some blood, and darken my soul to make sure my friends survive this…I'll do it. I knew what I was agreeing to when this started, I'm not going to back out now."

"I won't do this to you." Severus refused again.

"Yes you will, or I'll try and figure it out myself." She warned him.

Severus swore under his breath. "No one can know. Do you understand that? If anyone even suspected what I was going to teach you, they'd turn on you faster than you could blink. All of your so-called friends, the entire Order…all of them." He half growled, hating that she was right. "You also need to understand that once you take a life, there is no going back. It changes you forever, in ways you can't anticipate or prepare for. It could break you in ways I won't be able to fix." His voice dropped to barely more than a whisper and he touched her face with his stained fingertips.

"I won't break." She whispered.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Hermione." Severus said sadly. "Everyone breaks, it's just a matter of how badly, and if the pieces will fit together again. Leave me, I need some time to gather my thoughts, and if we are going to do this…you will need your rest." He dropped his hand, dismissing her.

For a moment it looked like she was going to argue with him, but she finally relented and moved back. She banished the bloody water and stained cloths, and closed his healing kit. "Goodnight then, Severus." She said and stood, eyes on the ground.

"I will see you in the morning. Try and get some sleep, Hermione." He said, his tone a bit softer.

tbc


	11. In Darkness, Desire

**A/N: Finally managed to get this chapter the way I wanted it. I apologize for the exceptionally long hiatus on this, but I hope this new installment makes up for it.**

 **o.o.O.o.o**

Hermione woke with a start, something in the darkness of her bedroom jolting her into instant awareness. She felt the edge of the bed dip and her heart pounded against her ribs. Warm breath tickled the back of her neck, and she could smell fire whiskey on it.

"Severus?" she whispered, shivering a little.

"Why did you invite me here, Hermione?" he whispered into her ear, so very close but not touching her…not yet.

Hermione swallowed thickly, knowing that in this moment only truth could be spoken.

"You know why," she answered, closing her eyes tightly. Admitting the truth was both humiliating and arousing all at once.

"Tell me anyway. I need to hear you say the words," Severus replied.

"Because I wanted you. I hoped that being here, alone, we might…" She stumbled over her words, cheeks burning in embarrassment.

"Did you want me to touch you?" A little bit of amusement leeched into his voice, and he trailed his fingertips along her arm.

"Yes." The touch was like a line of heat that shot straight through her. "What changed your mind?"

"It seems pointless to cling to this particular moral high ground when I'm going to be corrupting you so completely in other areas." He sighed and let his hand drop. "This seems like such a small thing, compared to training you for the Dark Lord's purposes."

Hermione turned to face him, shadows obscuring most of his expression. "It's not a small thing to me." She hesitantly lifted a hand and rested it on his chest, taking the initiative. This scared her more than anything else from the last year, it felt like reaching out over an abyss and hoping that he wouldn't let her fall.

"I know." He reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb tracing along her cheek bone. "You deserve more than I can give you," he said, voice thick with emotion.

"Let me decide what I deserve," she shifted closer and brushed her lips against his, heart hammering against her ribs. There was a moment where he didn't respond, and then it was like a dam burst and his hand buried itself deeper into her hair. The sudden hunger of the return kiss caught her off guard, and she moaned softly into his lips. He dragged her closer, his hand leaving her hair to travel down her back. He tasted like fire-whiskey, and his tongue was demanding as he controlled the kiss.

He broke the kiss, nipping and kissing along her jaw. He paused, nuzzling against her throat. "Please tell me you've done this before," he whispered raggedly.

"Yes, I have." Hermione's cheeks burned with embarrassment, but she understood why he was asking. Her few limited experiences with Viktor had been awkward, but enjoyable…for the most part.

"Good." He began to flick open the buttons on her pajamas, and pressed soft kisses against the newly revealed flesh.

Hermione could feel the tension radiating off of him, as he forced himself to slow down and take his time. She gasped, arching under him when his tongue flicked over her nipple. He took his time, teasing her with a single-minded focus that left her utterly breathless. Methodically, he moved from one breast to the other, nipping and sucking until she was seeing stars and when shifting his attentions back to the side. She craved more, her hips moving restlessly under him, but she also didn't want this delicious agony to end.

"Severus," she gasped, fingers gripping the sheets under her in a white-knuckle grip.

"Mmmm?" He looked up at her, an eyebrow raised teasingly.

"Please…" She'd never felt like this before, so hot and needy.

"Touch yourself for me," Severus said, gently untangling her fingers from the sheets and guiding it to the waistband of her pajamas. "Show me what you like." He moved back, dark eyes unreadable as he began to unbutton his white shirt.

Hermione shivered and slipped her hand down, fingers grazing hot wet flesh. Her curls were soaked and she drew her fingers teasingly over her lower lips, shivering a little. Her fingertip traced her clit, and she closed her eyes, moaning softly. Knowing he was right here, watching her, seemed to magnify every single touch.

"Don't close your eyes, look at me," Severus said.

Hermione opened her eyes, watching as he tossed his shirt away. Under all those layers of clothing, he was surprisingly fit. He was composed of long lines of hard muscle and a mural of old and new scars. The hard realities of his life laid bare to her. His hands drew her eyes to his pants as he unbuttoned them carefully. Sweet Circe. Apparently there was something to the saying about big noses. Her eyes widened a little as she got her first look at him, properly.

"Are you sure you want this?" he asked.

"Very sure." Hermione watched raptly as he moved off the bed enough to finish undressing. Her fingers teased herself, building up to the edge, but never enough to tip over. She wanted him to touch her like this, make her fall apart.

He knelt back on the bed and hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her pants and dragged them down her legs. His eyes never left hers as he did it, making her feel even more exposed. They were discarded off to the side as Severus move up onto the bed, her legs parting eagerly for him. He paused to brush a kiss against the inside of her thigh, a feathery caress on his slow journey up her body. Only the soft huff of his breath touched her sex as he continued up, as if mapping every inch of her skin.

Hermione slid her hands into his hair, feeling each kiss like a brand against her skin. Everywhere he touched her set her nerves on fire, and burned her up from the inside. She cried out as he licked a hot line up the curse scar, his magic inside of her swelling under his touch. Her back arched up, caught off guard by the intense sensation. It sent a shock straight through her that seemed to pool instantly into her core, her hips rocking up against him. The strange shimmering energy between them seemed grow darker, hungrier. His hands slid under her back, pulling her closer, and holding her still as he explored her breasts with lips and teeth.

When he kissed her this time there was no gentleness, her hands dislodge as he pinned her wrists to the bed. A whisper of magic kept them in place as his other hand slipped down to tease her, while their lips and tongues battled in their shared kiss. She gasped into his mouth as his fingers plunged inside her, not tentative at all as he thrust them inside her, testing her readiness. She was so wet, and his touch made her whimper wanting more.

Hermione shivered as he drew his fingers out and brought them up to his lips, tasting her and holding her gaze while he did it. He dropped his head down and kissed her again, deeper and slower this time. She could taste herself on his lips, but it wasn't as unpleasant as she'd thought. He shifted a little and she could feel his cock pressing against her now. His kiss swallowed her cry as he thrust smoothly into her. Her hurried fumblings with Viktor could never have prepared her for this. Severus filled her completely, the full length of him almost too much. There was the shimmering edge of discomfort as he thrust deeply into her, but it only made it more intense and fed the pleasure building inside her.

He broke their kiss, looking down at her as he fucked her willing body. Hermione was caught there in the bottomless black of his eyes, unable to look away as he saw every reaction and feeling wash over her, unfiltered and unedited. She'd never felt so perfectly vulnerable and yet powerful at the same time. Here was the real Severus Snape, with no masks or walls to hide behind. He was stripped bare, and she could see he was as just as caught as she was.

He reached up, releasing the magical bind on her wrists and slipped his fingers through hers, as if he wanted to be as close to her as he could and touch as much of her skin as possible.

"Severus," she gasped as his thrusts grew rougher. It hurt, but felt so good too. She brought her leg up, hooking around his hip and moaned as it shifted her just a little and he started rubbing against her just right. Her orgasm caught her off guard, hot and all encompassing. Her head fell back and she could feel his teeth against her neck as he bit down, marking her as his. As his breathing grew more ragged, his hips lost their steady rhythm, coming undone. She could hear him whispering something, almost too soft to make out. It sounded like 'mine'. The possessive word made something darkly satisfying curl inside her.

He buried his face into her shoulder, stifling his cries as he came inside her, releasing her hands to gather her tightly in his arms. It was almost too tight, but she didn't protest. He seemed to need this, as if reassuring himself that this was real. She wrapped her arms around him, just stroking her fingers through his sweat dampened hair and lying quietly as they both came down from their intense high. She knew instantly that she'd be feeling the effects of this encounter tomorrow, a dull ache settling between her legs, and a twinge of muscles that had been overused. She didn't care though. She'd wanted this, and there was no way she could ever have imagined just how good it would feel.

o.o.O.o.o

A few cursory cleaning charms and a slight adjustment of their positions, and Hermione and Severus had curled up to sleep. There had been no words exchanged, both of them hesitant to shatter the fragile moment. Hermione had fallen into an exhausted sleep and when she woke, she realized with a start that she was in the bed alone. Her heart dropped like a stone and she sat up. The door opened and the bit of panic gripping her eased. Severus was standing in the doorway, a tray in his hands. His chest was bare and his pants not entirely buttoned.

"I thought you might like something to eat," Severus said cautiously.

"Only if you join me," Hermione said boldly. She wanted him to know that she didn't regret last night, and given his behaviour now…she knew that was probably what he was worrying about.

"I would like that." He approached and laid the tray on the bed between them and sat down. He poured her some tea and handed it to her, fixed just the way she preferred. He sipped his own coffee, black with a little sugar.

There was a plate of warm scones, a little bowl of Devonshire cream and some strawberry jam. It was a light breakfast, but exactly what she wanted right now. The silence between them was easy, and she relaxed as they enjoyed their breakfast together.

"I should apologize for last night," Severus said as they lingered over the crumbs.

"I don't think you have anything to apologize for, and I don't regret what happened," she said, meeting his eyes.

"I don't regret it either, but I should. I'm in a position of authority over you and seen in a certain light, I have taken advantage of that." He looked down at the bed for a moment.

"I brought you here because I wanted this to happen. With the war gaining hold, I think we deserve to have whatever small bits of happiness we can find. It's no one else's business what we do," Hermione said quietly. "None of this is a normal situation and normal rules don't apply. Not to us."

"Foolish Gryffindor," he lifted his face and met her eyes, the reproof sounding more affectionate than chiding.

"Your foolish Gryffindor." She smirked.

"Careful, I've never been good at letting go of things that I see as mine." Severus did warn her.

Hermione reached over and took his hand, guiding it up to the darkened bite he'd put into her neck last night. "I think I'm already yours, and you're mine." She needed him to see that it went both ways.

"I can live with that." He moved his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing over her bottom lip. "I don't like the idea of dragging you deeper into this."

"I know, but I'm already in deeper than we thought I would be. I'm not going to stand by and let him kill you, just to keep my hands clean. Teach me what I need to learn, and we'll worry about the rest later."

"Very well. I'll leave you to have a shower and get dressed and I'll prepare your first lesson downstairs in the reading room. There is a lot for you to learn, and we don't have much time." Severus withdrew his hand reluctantly. "Once we start, there's no going back."

"There was never any going back." Hermione said sadly. "But even if there was, I don't think I'd want to." She leaned forward and stole a soft kiss before withdrawing and disappearing into the bathroom. Here, away from Hogwarts and the rest of the wizarding world, she could indulge in her wants. Once they returned, she knew the rules would change. She couldn't risk anyone discovering the truth of their new relationship. It would be too easy for someone to use it to destroy him and that was something she would not allow.

The water of the shower was blissfully hot and eased the small aches and pains from last night. She scrubbed herself clean, wincing a little as she was more careful with the tender area between her legs. It would be a day or two before she was ready for a repeat of that. It had felt amazing at the time, but now her body was protesting the hard use.

There was clean clothing folded neatly on the side when she came out of the shower. She dried off quickly and got dressed. She gathered her wet hair up into a messy bun, enjoying that it displayed her love bite quite prominently. She ghosted her fingertips over it, feeling a rush of renewed desire. A quick shake of her head, and she left the bathroom. Today, she needed to focus and try to absorb whatever Severus was planning to teach her. There would be time later for more enjoyable pursuits.


End file.
